Lee Johnson,III

Early Childhood Education Senior Fellow

Lee Johnson III serves as a senior fellow for early childhood education at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) and directs the Southern Early Childhood Education Justice (SECEJ) Network. The SECEJ Network is a regional coalition of caregivers, early learning providers, advocates, and researchers dedicated to expanding early learning opportunities for children and families across the South. For more than a decade, Dr. Johnson has dedicated himself to translating the science of early childhood development and infant and early childhood mental health (IECH) into practical resources and policies that respond to the strengths and needs of young children and families. Previously, Dr. Johnson served as vice president of policy at the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), directing the organization's advocacy, research, and public policy initiatives. He led these efforts, underscored by the Eight Essential Outcomes for Black Child Development framework he co-created. Before NBCDI, Dr. Johnson was a senior policy analyst for lECMH at ZERO TO THREE (ZTT). While there, he explored legislative and regulatory avenues to influence the size, diversity, quality, and accessibility of the IECMH clinical workforce. Dr. Johnson also served as director at the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education and as state director of First 5 Alabama®. There, he advised state leaders on expanding IECMH capacity and directed the state's Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program.   Dr. Johnson is currently the board chair of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA), and a 2024 Pritzker Children's Initiative, Rockwood prenatal-to-three leadership fellow. He earned his B.S. in early childhood education, an M.A., and a Ph.D. in public health from the University of Alabama.