Tributes poured in Monday from across the community Michael Johnson devoted himself to building, with testimonials recalling a leader who reshaped what was possible for Dane County kids and families.

Johnson, the community leader and longtime head of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County who spent roughly 16 years working to close opportunity gaps in Madison, died Sunday. He was 50.

Taylor Jackson, named interim president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County on Monday, says Johnson was someone who was always “dreaming bigger.”

"He genuinely cared about every individual he connected with, and if he had the time, he could sit down with for hours and learn somebody's life story, what they'd been through, what mattered to them,” says Jackson, who worked with Johnson for a decade.

Her recollections echo those of many in the community who continue to share memories of Johnson’s tenure, which included campaigns to raise money by sleeping on the top of a semi truck to gifting struggling families with holiday shopping sprees.

“He had a really special way of making anyone he spoke to just feel incredibly special,” she says, adding that he was “incredibly dynamic,” a storyteller able to connect across divides, with a passionate and genuine vision for moving the community forward.

Johnson came to Madison in 2010 to take the helm of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County. He had worked at a Boys and Girls Club in Chicago while attending night school and later worked for the Philadelphia Recreation Department, the YMCA in St. Louis, and public schools in Chicago and Philadelphia, Isthmus reported in a 2013 profile.

He started in Madison just a few years after the organization launched the AVID/TOPS college readiness program in partnership with the school district. The program started by serving 28 East High School students. Today, roughly 900 students across Madison’s four comprehensive high schools participate. That growth was fueled by Johnson, who raised at least $18 million for it, according to the Madison Community Foundation, which in 2022 nominated him for a fundraising award — one of many awards he would earn.

Johnson grew the Clubs’ assets to $26 million, and the organization has quadrupled the number of families it serves, according to its website. Overall, he raised more than $50 million for the organization. Under Johnson, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County has also expanded geographically — a new club in Sun Prairie, a trade worker training center in Fitchburg, and services outside of Dane County.

Jackson credits Johnson’s ability to build bridges between groups for his success in raising money and winning supporters.

"He found ways to connect those who had a lot of resource and privilege to the stories and experiences of those who might not," she says. He was always, she adds, able to show funders a vision and invite them to make it happen.

“When Michael was in the room, everyone knew it,” said Madison Superintendent Joe Gothard in a statement. Gothard met Johnson in 2010, when Gothard was principal of La Follette High School. “However, his gift was always ensuring the focus remained on the children and families who needed support, particularly those in underserved communities and students of color…Michael understood the importance of identifying the young people facing the greatest challenges and making sure they had access to the opportunities, resources and relationships they needed to succeed,” Gothard added.

‘While we are a progressive city, we are also segregated in many ways’

That focus on equity shaped Johnson’s public voice. In 2013, the Race to Equity report showed staggering disparities between white and Black Madison and sparked a community-wide discussion. Following the release of that report, Isthmus surveyed community leaders, including Johnson, on their answers to this question: "What is one thing white people can do to help win the race to equity?"

“I believe the power and will of independent individuals will create the motivation and change that is needed to create equity among all in our community,” Johnson answered. “To help win the race to equity, our white, brown and black friends have to get to know each other better before we can tackle our community's biggest issues. I have learned that, while we are a progressive city, we are also segregated in many ways, which hurts the quality of life for all segments of our community.

“When our white friends and neighbors are isolated, and not connected to people of color, a personal connection is lost. That personal connection can help fuel passion and support. They must also see the pain that many families of color face. If there was a singular answer, I will say create a connection in a slow, organic way to enrich their learning and exposure,” he added.

Johnson often took on projects outside his purview as head of the Boys & Girls Clubs, and weighed in as a community leader. In 2013, he joined grocery store owner Tim Metcalfe and fellow nonprofit leader Will Green for three days living as homeless men, chronicling their experiences on social media.

Renee Moe, who forged a close partnership with Johnson in her role as president and CEO of the United Way of Dane County, recalls late-night texts; lunches at Bonfyre American Grille, located across the Beltline from his south Madison office; and many collaborative projects with him.

“There was tension sometimes,” Moe says, “but it was about balancing immediate needs and long-term outcomes. We didn’t always agree, but we trusted each other’s intentions.”

One example: fundraising for an emergency response fund during the COVID-19 pandemic, a campaign that raised roughly $2 million. Johnson pushed to quickly get money to those in need, while Moe gravitated toward planning first. She describes their tension as “complementary.”

“50 is too young, he had a lot more to give,” says Moe, emphasizing the “stress and load” Black leaders carry in their professional and personal lives.

“He could say the hard things, and he helped people hear the hard things,” says Moe. But he also used to say, “As a bridge-builder, you get stepped on.”

‘I’m used to fighting for everything’

That willingness to wade into difficult ground extended to questions of race and policing. Johnson was a member of Law Enforcement Leaders of Color, a collaboration of chiefs, nonprofit and community leaders, established shortly before the Madison police killing of Tony Robinson.

Moe recalls Johnson bringing a strong voice to those conversations. In June 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Johnson was among a group of community leaders on the ground in downtown Madison, witnessing protests, urging youth to stay safe, and listening.

Then he organized. He worked with the governor’s office, state lawmakers, and members of the state board that controls the Capitol grounds. He put together a committee, and then worked on private fundraising. Nearly 2,000 people combined to give nearly $300,000 to fund a statue of former Wisconsin Secretary of State Vel Phillips, the first woman and first African American elected to statewide office. More gave for an endowment to maintain the statue.

“I’m used to fighting for everything,” Johnson told WORT-FM in 2024, describing the statue as the first cause he had taken on where he didn’t face opposition. Like elsewhere, Johnson’s leadership is tangible. The Phillips statue now sits at the Capitol’s south walkway.

Johnson died three weeks ahead of the All-White Party, an extravagant annual summer fundraiser planned for June 27 at the Orpheum Theater and slated to feature comedian Jay Leno as headliner. The fundraiser is still on, according to a Tuesday update from the Boys & Girls Clubs.

A candlelight vigil celebrating Johnson is scheduled Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center in Fitchburg.