Arthur Johnson graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Security Affairs. After earning his naval aviator Wings of Gold, he went on to serve a total of 33 years in the US Navy in various locations around the world. After leading and commanding at every levels of Naval Aviation, he completed a four-year assignment as Navy Safety Chief and Commander, Naval Safety Center. While there, he orchestrated a fundamental shift in the Navy’s safety culture and set new safety achievement records, including the safest year in Naval Aviation’s 100-year history.
His postgraduate education includes master’s degrees in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and in National Strategic Studies from the National War College. He is also a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI fellow. Johnson retired from the Navy in 2012 as a Rear Admiral.
As founder and CEO of Destiny Aviation Services LLC., he now seeks to broaden the nation’s pool of aviation professionals through various aviation and education initiatives. Overseeing middle school and elementary school STEM–Aviation programs and numerous aviation summer camps in New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions, Johnson influences and mentors hundreds of young people each year, while introducing them to the thrill of aviation and STEM career opportunities. He has logged more that 5000 flight hours flying military and general aviation aircraft.
Johnson is passionate about youth development and STEM workforce expansion. He is founder and member, Board of Directors for Leadership LINKS (Greenboro, NC), a Trustee, Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, a member of the Field of Firsts Foundation, (College Park, MD), the STEM Aviation and Flight Simulation Instructor for First Baptist Church of Glenarden, International (Landover, MD.), STEM Aviation Program Director for Ron Burton Training Village (Gardner, MA.), and Strategic Advisor for Clarkson Aerospace Corporation (Houston, TX.). He currently serves as STEM Chair for the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA).