Michael (Mike) W. Johnson joined the American Coatings Association (ACA) as president and CEO on Nov. 1. Mike has deep roots in the association and advocacy world. Prior to joining ACA, he was president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association (NSSGA) for over 11 years. Before that, he served as executive vice president and chief advocacy officer at the National Beer Wholesalers Association, and previously as vice president of Government Relations at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. His association experience began at the National Association of Home Builders, where he served as congressional affairs and grassroots director.

Below is a brief Q&A with Mike to introduce him to our membership.

Congratulations and welcome, Mike! Could you please share some of your background?

Thank you, I am excited about the new role of ACA president and CEO, and eager to get to know and work alongside the association staff to serve the ACA membership. I am a proud Kentucky native earned a B.A. in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Kentucky.

I began my career in Washington with former U.S. Senator Wendell H. Ford (D-Ky.), the second highest-ranking member of the Senate leadership at the time. I then moved on to run ballot initiative and referendum campaigns across the country for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where I first became familiar with the construction industry and the trade association business. Over time I also began to lobby Congress for NAHB. That was followed by six years as vice president of government affairs with the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America and, seven years as executive vice president and chief advocacy officer with the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

For the last 11 years I was president and CEO of NSSGA, where I worked to grow the association with a fantastic staff focused on accomplishing several goals: we implemented four successful Rocks Build America strategic plans; firmly established advocacy as “Job #1;” grew the membership to more than 500 companies within the aggregates and industrial sand industry; and set new records for participation and exhibit sales of the AGG1 trade show. I am proud of those accomplishments, none of which would have been possible without a talented team of resolute association professionals or the support of an engaged membership, for which I’m tremendously grateful.

My wife, Jill, and I have two children, Wesley (20) who is a junior at the University of South Carolina and Wyatt (14) who is a freshman at Gonzaga College High School in D.C. Home is in Alexandria, Va., not far from George Washington’s Mount Vernon. When I am not working or with my family, you can find me on the golf course, at a wine tasting or rooting for my Kentucky Wildcats, the Nationals or the Commanders.

I also enjoy supporting causes or organizations I care about, which has me currently serving as the Immediate Past Chair of the First Tee of Greater Washington, D.C.; a Regent for the U.S. Chamber’s Institute of Organization Management; and as the President of Mount Vernon Country Club.

How will your past professional experience working for different associations inform your leadership of ACA?

It is hard for me to believe at times, but 2025 will be my 30th year working as an association professional. Over that time, I have been privileged to work at associations which were known for strong advocacy efforts and outstanding member service. I intend to bring the best practices I learned along the way to the benefit of ACA’s membership.

First among those practices is the development and implementation of a member-driven, multi-year strategic plan. A well-developed strategic plan is essential to effectiveness as an association. Experience has shown me that if members guide the plan, they will support the plan with their engagement and dues dollars. The direction from the members about what they see as the value proposition of membership leads to the development of strategic goals and objectives, which focus the work of the association on those things that are identified as most important to the success of the membership and the industry. The plan serves as a roadmap for the association staff, clearly delineating how resources should be allocated and what metrics define success.

Strong and effective advocacy has been an important piece, if not the most important piece, of the value proposition of membership at each of the associations with which I have served. In fact, at my last association, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, our refrain was “Advocacy is Job #1.” I expect that to be true at ACA as well.

What are some goals of yours in the first year in the role?

Obviously, the first year will be about getting to know the team at ACA and PaintCare and learning about both of those businesses. I will be focused on understanding what our strengths are, how resources are allocated and where we have opportunity for growth.

I will also be learning about the coatings business, gaining a deeper understanding of what our member companies do and building relationships with the leaders of the industry. I will call each of our member companies in my first 90 days on the job and I will visit as many company headquarters, plants and stores as I can in my first year with ACA. It is crucial that I know what our members want from ACA and understand how we are performing in meeting those needs.

All of that is about listening, responding, and relationship building. We will take what we learn from those interactions and the data we garner from the current member survey to inform a process which will result in the development of a comprehensive multi-year strategic plan for ACA within the year.

What excites you about the paint and coatings industry?

While I am certainly still learning, I have been immediately impressed by how many ways coatings protect, preserve and provide for almost everything we touch or use in our everyday lives, which I had never even thought about before. The products that this industry produces are truly ubiquitous, but also taken for granted. I am excited to be an advocate for the coatings industry and help to increase the understanding of the essential nature of the products this industry produces and the impact that they have in improving the everyday quality of life across the United States and around the world — from their social contributions to the industry’s economic contributions to our national and state economies.

I am also impressed by the industry leaders with whom I’ve had a chance to meet so far and am looking forward to meeting more of the people who contribute to this essential and dynamic industry. I’m also extremely excited to be an advocate for an industry that proactively has taken it upon itself to be an innovative trailblazer in product stewardship. We have an outstanding, and still growing, sustainability story to tell with PaintCare.

What motivates you and how do you define success for the association?

Put very simply, I am lucky to be able to do something I love and get to call it work. Being part of a highly functioning team that is extremely effective in advocating for the interests of our members is what makes it easy and exciting for me to show up every day ready to go.

I cannot define success for the association, only our members get to do that. My greatest desire is that our members see ACA as indispensable because the association is so effective in shaping a public policy environment which creates opportunities for them to be both more productive and more profitable.

What are some of the additional priorities for you as you lead the association over the next five years?

I want to continue to grow our leading trade show and technical platform: the American Coatings Conference and the American Coatings Show. Providing our attendees and exhibitors with an exceptional experience will generate more non-dues revenue which can be reinvested into the association to the benefit of the membership.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our membership?

I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to lead such a vibrant and established association to the benefit of such an incredibly important industry. I look forward to speaking our members, learning more about your business and hearing more about what you need from your association over the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything that ACA or I can do for you.