Sheila C. Johnson

Sheila C. Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and impassioned philanthropist.  

 

As a partner in Lincoln Holdings, Ms. Johnson is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.  Ms. Johnson is President and Managing Partner of the Mystics.

 

As CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005, Ms. Johnson oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties.  Woodlands Inn, in Summerville, SC, is one of only a handful of properties in North America to receive the prestigious Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings for both lodging and dining.  In 2008, Travel + Leisure selected Woodlands as the #1 hotel for service in North America and #3 in the world (it was the only US hotel ranked in the Top 10).  In 2007, Ms. Johnson acquired Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort. Set on 900 acres, this 72-hole resort in Innisbrook, FL hosts the annual PGA TOUR’s Transitions Championship. The company is also building the much-anticipated Salamander Resort & Spa, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Middleburg, VA.

 

Ms. Johnson is a partner in ProJet Aviation, a comprehensive aviation service company specializing in aviation consulting, aircraft acquisitions, management, and charter services based in Winchester, VA.  She is also a partner in Mistral, the makers of fine bath, body and home products.

 

Ms. Johnson has long been a powerful influence in the entertainment industry as a founding partner of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and most recently as a film producer.  In partnership with other investors, her first film, Kicking It, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT.  She executive produced her second film, A Powerful Noise, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and her third film, She Is The Matador.  She is currently at work on the film The Other City about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Washington DC.

 

In 2006 Ms. Johnson was named global ambassador for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty by empowering women because they have the unique power to help entire communities escape poverty. “Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge” was instrumental in helping raise funds for CARE’s important work.  Ms. Johnson is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

A fervent supporter of the arts and education, Ms. Johnson serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design in New York and sits on the boards of Americans for the Arts, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the Tiger Woods Foundation, the University of Virginia Curry School of Education, Howard University and the University of Illinois Foundation. 

An accomplished violinist, she received a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Illinois, as well as honorary degrees from numerous other institutions.  Ms. Johnson lives in Middleburg, VA, is married to the Honorable William T. Newman, Jr. and has two children.