Trailblazers

Dana Johnson

Athletic Director - Dunbar High School

Ms. Dana Johnson represents the essence of a trailblazer in Maryland high school sports.  As a student-athlete from Western High School in Baltimore City, Md., Johnson became an All-American basketball player and attended the University of Tennessee on a full scholarship under Hall of Fame Coach Pat Summitt.

Johnson returned to her roots, taking over as Athletic Director for Southside Academy, a school of 300 students and only two sport offerings.  Johnson built the program from the ground up, growing  offering 13 sport offerings in just a few  years while being the school athletic director, volleyball head coach, boys basketball head coach, and badminton head coach.  

In 2011 she took over at Dunbar High School as Athletic Director, where her programs have produced numerous state championships in a variety of sports.  In 2018, Ms. Johnson became the first African American Female to serve as President of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association.  Even more impressive, was her Presidency overlapped as President of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association, serving as the first person to ever be President of both associations at the same time.