By Tony O. Lawson Tonjanita “Tonja” Johnson began her professional career teaching ninth-grade English in Butler, Alabama. More than three decades later, she is preparing to lead a public university system with an annual operating budget of $7.9 billion. On October 30, 2026, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents unanimously selected Johnson as its next president. She will become the first person of color to lead the system since its establishment in 1971, marking a historic appointment in the institution’s 55-year history. Johnson, 57, will oversee 13 public universities that serve more than 164,500 students and employ about 41,000

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