Economy & Business Climate

Rich Johnson serves as the first Executive Director of the newly created North Fulton Economic Alliance (NFEA), a public private regional economic development organization. In his role, he directs NFEA’s work to brand the region, implement a national marketing strategy, expand the local talent and workforce pipeline, and elevate regional economic development in partnership with business, government, and education leaders.

Prior to his appointment at NFEA, Rich spent over a decade with AT&T Georgia, most recently serving as Assistant Vice President of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs. In that role, he led AT&T’s statewide legislative and regulatory strategy, engaging with policymakers, regulators, and community organizations to advocate for key technology investments and infrastructure deployment. He also managed the company’s political giving and directed AT&T’s engagement with the Georgia General Assembly, Public Service Commission, and state agencies.

Rich brings over two decades of leadership experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A proven consensus-builder and strategic leader, he has a track record of aligning diverse stakeholders around common goals to drive meaningful impact for communities and businesses alike.

A native Georgian, Rich is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a B.A. in Political Science. He remains actively engaged in civic leadership, currently serving as a board member for the University System of Georgia Foundation, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the Regional Business Coalition and Fulton County WorkSource. His previous board service includes Georgia 811, Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Schools of Atlanta, and the Milton Design and Review Board.

Rich and his wife, Allison, a public school educator, reside in Milton, Georgia, with their two children. They are active members of Birmingham United Methodist Church.