Dr. Jamila Johnson

Lecturer & Internship Coordinator,

PGA Golf Management Program •

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Phone: 410-651-7556    Email: jjohnson1@umes.edu

Current Role___________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Jamila Johnson serves as Lecturer and Internship Coordinator for the PGA Golf Management Program in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Approaching her 17th year at the institution, Dr. Johnson oversees student internship placements, delivers curriculum in hospitality and golf management, and serves as a faculty mentor to aspiring golf professionals. She is a founding force behind both the UMES Men’s and Women’s Golf programs—making her one of a rare few African American women in history to establish and head coach an NCAA Division I Men's Golf program.

Dr. Johnson completed her Doctor of Business Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Her dissertation, “Organizational Sustainability Through Gender-Equitable Succession Planning in NCAA Women’s Coaching,” introduced the Coach Advancement and Retention Framework (CARF), a theoretical model examining the societal, organizational, interpersonal, and individual barriers that impede women’s advancement in collegiate athletics leadership. The research combined systematic review, qualitative interviews with eleven NCAA Division I coaches, and ethnographic observation, establishing Dr. Johnson as a leading scholarly voice on equity and sustainability in athletic administration. She also holds a Master of Education in Community Counseling from UMES and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication and Graphic Design from American Intercontinental University.

Playing Career___________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Johnson was introduced to the game at age four and began competing at age five with support from her mother and the Hollywood Golf Club. She traveled to 30 states and competed in over 300 tournaments nationwide. The Calvin Peete Foundation scholarship sent her to the Golf Digest School at Innisbrook. Later, she was a three-year captain at Cass Tech H.S. and a back-to-back medalist in the Detroit Public School Co-Ed Golf League.

Dr. Johnson competed at Jackson State University on a four-year scholarship under legendary collegiate golf coach Eddie Payton. As a Tiger, she helped her team claim the program’s first and back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championships, earned three-time All-Conference honors, and served as a four-year starter, three-year captain, and recipient of the program’s “Lifetime Captain” award.

Coaching & Leadership____________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Johnson built both the Men’s and Women’s Golf programs at UMES from the ground up. Working under Golf Academy Director Marshall Cropper, she developed competitive teams and represented the university on the national stage. As director of the Art Shell Junior Tournament, she expanded the event into a nationally recognized competition, drawing participants from across the country and the Bahamas. She has facilitated clinics and workshops in partnership with 4-H, the Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay, First Tee of Baltimore, the IMBODI program of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and organizations across Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Michigan, and Illinois.

In a previous campus role, Dr. Johnson served as Senior First-Year Experience Coordinator at UMES, where she supervised peer mentors, developed curriculum, and helped the university achieve record student retention numbers, reflecting her enduring commitment to student success both inside and outside of athletics.

Community Engagement & Advocacy________________________________________________________________

Dr. Johnson is a long-serving board member of the Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA), currently serving as Executive Coordinator for Operations and Strategic Initiatives. The BCGCA supports and develops HBCU golf programs nationwide, working to expand access and opportunity for underrepresented populations and underfunded programs. In this role, Dr. Johnson has advanced organizational partnerships, supported landmark invitationals, and helped develop scholarships and grant initiatives to sustain HBCU golf across the country.  She serves on several local and national boards and prioritizes junior and women’s clinics, camps, and youth development initiatives, driven by the belief that every young person deserves early and meaningful access to golf.

Personal_________________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Johnson is the proud daughter of golf pioneer Selina “Hollywood” Johnson and the mother of Elise Johnson. Her brother, Norris Brown, is actively working to grow the game of golf for a new generation. This family’s shared devotion to the game, spanning three generations, is the legacy Dr. Johnson carries forward in everything she does, on campus, on the course, and in the communities she serves.