Cato was named Chief of Staff in April 2017.
Along with Chief of Staff, Johnson provides leadership in Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, a role he has held at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare since 1985. Prior to that he was vice president of Corporate Affairs at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.
Johnson currently serves as chairman of the TennCare Medical Care Advisory Committee.
Active in Legislative affairs for more than 20 years, Johnson is a former member of the original Governor’s TennCare Roundtable. He was vice chair of the State Health planning and Advisory Board and chair of the TennCare Medical Care Advisory Committee. He is past president of the University of Memphis Alumni Association and served on the executive committee of the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority. Former chair of Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Former member of the Tennessee State School Board and current Co Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Memphis.
Johnson is over Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mission Integration, Employee Assistance Program, & Le Bonheur Community Health.
He has received numerous awards including: 2007 Memphis City Schools Hall of Fame, Distinguish Alumni Award in 2019 from University of Memphis. The last three years he received the Power 100 – Most Influential Business Leader from the Memphis Business Journal. In 2022, the Distinguished Service Award from the NAACP. He also received the 100 Black Men of Memphis Award. Cato was a founding University of Memphis Board of Trustee member and has served various roles on the board including co-vice chair of the Board of Trustees. Cato is especially proud of the new Georgette and Cato Johnson YMCA in Whitehaven.
home
