167 Millennium - Twenty-third Edition SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC SERVICE, NONPROFIT AND HUMANITIES the 56-acre Villa Rica Town Center, a mixeduse development connecting a master-planned golf course community with the expanding downtown district while introducing retail and residential opportunities. Since launching West Georgia Planning, Mr. Johnson has led rezonings in Bowdon and Dallas, Georgia. Bowdon later retained his firm to establish historic districts, and the city of Buchanan also became a new client in 2026. His most significant accomplishment is his involvement in the Bouckaert Farm rezoning, completed in October 2025. Covering more than 8,000 acres in Chattahoochee Hills, it became the largest rezoning in Georgia’s history by land area. The adopted plan envisions a walkable hamlet, preserved green space, and 10 miles of river trails connecting to regional systems. Throughout his career, Mr. Johnson has remained dedicated to helping small towns and rural communities become stronger and more resilient. He prioritizes walkability, reduced automobile dependency and activating public spaces. Recognizing that communication and collaboration are essential to effective planning, he works to unite municipalities and professionals across West Georgia to address shared challenges. His goal is to build a regional coalition committed to advancing thoughtful land use, economic development and forwardlooking policy for future generations. Jersey, and later advanced to zoning officer positions in Plainfield and Cranford. During this period, he developed experience in land use regulation, redevelopment strategy and community engagement. In 2015, he founded the Downtown Plainfield Alliance, a nonprofit created to pursue grants the city could not access directly due to its 501(c)(3) limitations. Under his leadership, the organization secured funding to plant 94 trees in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, strengthening the downtown streetscape. Mr. Johnson also helped lead the rezoning of downtown Plainfield and the surrounding Netherwood Train Station area. The plan incorporated two train stations designed around Transit-Oriented Development principles, aligning land-use policy with transit assets. The effort earned the 2015 New Jersey Smart Growth Award and marked a turning point in the city’s revitalization. By modernizing zoning regulations, the initiative encouraged mixed-use development and renewed investor confidence. After relocating to Georgia in 2019, Mr. Johnson joined the city of Villa Rica as a planning and zoning specialist and was later promoted to planning and zoning administrator. During a period of growth, he co-authored a new zoning ordinance and managed development applications across the city. Over five years, he oversaw more than 60 projects, including
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