Leasha Johnson
Executive Director, Mingo County Redevelopment Authority
KENZIE DYE
Photo by Wes Wilson Photography.
BORN IN LOGAN COUNTY, WV, and raised in Mingo County, Leasha Johnson describes herself as a proud daughter of Appalachia who has called the Mountain State home her entire life. Her blue-collar upbringing, which mirrored that of her fellow Southern West Virginia peers, shaped the values that drive her today.
As executive director of the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority( MCRA), Johnson has spent nearly 21 years revitalizing her home county. She oversees operations ranging from fiscal planning and regulatory compliance to strategic initiatives, but the organization’ s true mission lies in transforming the region’ s economic landscape. Under her leadership, post-mined lands have been repurposed for infrastructure, education and recreation.
“ The foundation of these efforts rests upon Mingo County’ s pioneering Land Use Master Plan,” Johnson says.“ This groundbreaking plan has enabled us to forge innovative, public-private partnerships with coal and land companies as well as regulatory agencies in order to initiate projects that will fundamentally reshape Mingo County’ s future.”
112 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE