Bernard Johnson, President & CEO

General real estate planner and redevelopment analyst with over 28 years of experience in community & economic development, redevelopment, and negotiation of commercial retail, light industrial, transportation, utility, and general commercial real estate transactions for private and public entities and agencies. Mr. Johnson is also an I.R.W.A. certified Senior Right-of-Way Agent for land Acquisition and Right-of-Way activities. Mr. Johnson’s experience in these areas requires working with private developers and government agencies, assembling teams of specialty consultants, and bringing together community business organizations and community planning groups to implement new commercial retail and light industry businesses in communities suffering from underdevelopment and economic investment neglect. Additional skill sets also include the performance of real estate strategic master planning, real estate feasibility studies, fiscal and economic impact studies, market analysis, spatial and physical asset/attribute analysis, demographic studies and analysis, real estate portfolio valuation & evaluation, fiscal demographic studies, and general real estate commercial market research.

During his tenure as the Redevelopment Director for SEDC, and as a real estate analyst & consultant, he continued to forge public and private sector partner relationships between developers, the San Diego Housing Commission, non-profit organizations, and other municipal and government organizations and agencies in order to achieve planned affordable housing, commercial small business financing, and to help ensure a diverse compliment of residential project types within San Diego County, the state of California and in other regions throughout the U.S. Mr. Johnson’s experience and professional expertise have been used effectively in pursuit of sustainable new development and redevelopment goals and achievements.

Working as a Senior Right of Way Agent for Sempra Energy / San Diego Gas & Electric Co. for 7 years, Mr. Johnson’s activities included acquiring land entitlement rights and easements for the distribution/transmission infrastructure component of electric, gas, and LNG services & products throughout San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Responsibilities included administering and acquiring rights for large facilities such as PME switches, power substations, and major KV transmission lines. Professional accreditations and certifications from the International Right of Way Association include Senior Right-of-Way Agent (SRWA), as well as three additional professional certifications: R/W-Negotiations, R/W-Asset & Property Management, and R/W-Relocations. He is currently a member of the local & state chapters, as well as the international organization, and as a member of the international organization is involved in minority mentoring and educational & instructional activities.