Jeh Johnson ’82LAW, an attorney with a long history of public service, has been elected co-chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees. He now shares that role with David Greenwald ’83LAW, who became co-chair in 2023.
A graduate of Morehouse College and Columbia Law School, Johnson held senior roles in the Obama administration, including as general counsel of the Defense Department from 2009 to 2012 and as secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017. Earlier in his career, he was general counsel of the Air Force and a federal prosecutor in Manhattan. This past June, Johnson retired as a partner from the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
“Columbia is in my bloodstream,” Johnson said in a statement. “Four generations of my family have degrees from Columbia University. As co-chair of the Board of Trustees, I will work to preserve and promote the greatness and values of our University and will be committed to the welfare and safety of all our students.”
Said Greenwald: “There’s no one better suited to co-chair the Board of Trustees right now than Jeh Johnson, a leader who has spent his career in public service and in private practice navigating some of the most complex and consequential issues imaginable. I’m grateful to him for stepping up, for marshalling his expertise and experience in the service of Columbia and its incredible community.”
