Jef Johnston

Jefrey R. Johnston, Ph.D., is a nonprofit leader, systems thinker, and educator with deep experience designing and scaling programs that promote equity, opportunity, and long-term impact. He is the co-founder of Imagine Omaha, an organization working to close the racial wealth gap by supporting Black leadership and providing certified life coaching to help clients navigate critical life transitions—from early career development to homeownership and asset-building.

Across his career, Dr. Johnston has led organizations through strategic growth, cultural change, and evaluation-driven improvement. He has served in executive roles where he built and empowered multidisciplinary teams, implemented equity-centered practices, and used data to inform decision-making and demonstrate impact. As Chief Operating Officer of a multi-sector nonprofit, he helped shape a model of long-term engagement that supported individuals well beyond traditional education pipelines—into meaningful careers and sustained economic stability.

Dr. Johnston also brings decades of experience in program evaluation, curriculum development, and organizational leadership. He has taught graduate-level courses on research methods, program evaluation, multicultural education, and systems change at institutions including the University of Nebraska and Doane University. His leadership reflects a commitment to servant leadership, racial justice, and the belief that well-designed systems can transform individual lives and entire communities.

He holds a Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Science in Educational Administration, and a B.A. in Elementary Education.