E. Christopher Johnson, Jr.
Christopher Johnson, Jr., retired GM North America Vice President, and General Counsel has joined PCS-G in a Director of DEI activities role. Chris has led DEI activities in the military, legal profession, corporate America, and education at all levels. Chris will lead PCS-G’s DEI educational counseling and consulting programs.
Chris, a West Point graduate and decorated Army veteran has dedicated his life to addressing social justice issues through the Center for Justice, Rights and Dignity that he co-founded with his wife Rhonda, including human trafficking and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) the latter of which is a lifelong passion.
As an officer in the Army during the early 70’s Chris led the Army to create it’s Equal Opportunity Program. He entered the legal profession as one of the few African Americans at a major New York City Law Firms where he became involved in the first diversity committee on the Bar Association of the City of New York in the early 80s. Chris was later sworn into the Michigan Bar and formed a lifelong relationship and connection to Michigan and the DEI activities at the ABA.
While at GM Chris was involved in the Staff’s DEI activities, including as the leader of the Staff’s first pipeline program with the Highland Park School system.
He distinguished himself as GM’s first computer lawyer, as the practice grew Chris rose through the ranks to GM North America’s chief Commercial Lawyer, an Assistant General Counsel and the GM North American Vice President and General Counsel. In this role he implemented a DEI accountability program which significantly increased GM’s utilization of women and minority outside counsel. He also implemented a legal pipeline program with Detroit and Pontiac schools.
After his GM retirement, Chris Joined Western Michigan University Cooley Law School where he founded and directed the Graduate Program in corporate law and finance, and also became a co leader of WMU Cooley’s pipeline program for college students.
After leaving WMU Cooley to focus more on his social justice issues in human trafficking following a life changing mission trip to India, he also continued his DEI activities including continuing serving in the DEI Center of the American Bar Association and State Bar of Michigan DEI committee, as well speaking and writing on numerous occasions on these issues and continuing his pipeline activities including the leading the West Point Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity In STEM (LEADS) Workshops in Detroit, and advising on LEADS Workshops in Dallas.