The Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation on Jan. 29 announced the appointment of Michael G. Johnson as its new executive director, effective Feb. 2, 2026.
Johnson will lead the organization’s vision and oversee day-to-day operations, programs, services, development and administration. He succeeds longtime Executive Director Michelle Neugebauer, who is retiring after more than 40 years of leadership marked by significant growth and impact.
CHLDC is a leading East New York–based nonprofit providing community development, family and youth services, urban agriculture, college success and economic development programming. Johnson brings more than 25 years of experience across economic development, corporate philanthropy and public service, with a career focused on expanding opportunity and strengthening communities. In 2010, he received the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award for exceptional service to communities of color.
“Michael’s leadership style is grounded in humility, collaboration, and a genuine respect for the communities he serves. I am personally excited to welcome him to CHLDC and confident that he will lead with both heart and purpose as we continue advancing our mission in East New York,” said Michael Lawes, president, Board of Directors.
Johnson joins CHLDC from the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, where he served as president and chief executive officer. At HEAF, a nationally recognized college preparatory and career access organization, he guided the nonprofit through the post-COVID-19 period by stabilizing funding, strengthening partnerships and securing new resources. Under his leadership, HEAF expanded its capacity to serve more than 600 students, maintained its core after-school programming and provided direct college and career counseling to partner high schools in Brooklyn, Harlem and the Bronx.
Before HEAF, Johnson was director of Community Life at The Community Builders, a national nonprofit focused on affordable and mixed-income housing and commercial development. There, he led place-based strategies centered on stable housing and community partnerships.
He also served as vice president of Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase & Co., overseeing the community development portfolio for the New York metropolitan area and a national initiative supporting data-driven neighborhood investment. Through the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the firm provides more than $220 million annually to nonprofits across more than 40 countries.
Johnson has extensive experience working with local government, having served in four city administrations in New York and New Jersey. His previous roles include Chief of Staff to the General Manager and Director of Customer Operations at the New York City Housing Authority, as well as leadership positions in New York City and Newark focused on economic opportunity and quality-of-life improvements for families.
“I am honored to be joining Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation and to build on its deep roots in East New York. CHLDC’s commitment to residents, families and community-led change is inspiring and I look forward to listening, learning and working alongside the community to continue this important work,” said Johnson.
Johnson holds a master’s degree in political science from the CUNY Graduate Center, a master’s degree in city planning from MIT and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. A lifelong Brooklynite, he lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant with his wife and three children.
Founded in 1983, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation is a community development organization and settlement house rooted in East New York. Today, CHLDC serves more than 20,000 residents annually, employs over 500 staff members, and operates with an annual budget of approximately $28 million.
