Bonita C. Johnson, MS-MPA is a senior physical scientist in the Water Division of Region 4 in Atlanta,
GA. Bonita has established 58 academic-community partnership projects in EPA Regions 4, 6, and 7
through her service in the EPA College/Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP). In 2021,
she completed 24 academic-community partnership projects and provided underserved communities
comprised of approximately 549,963 residents with access to multiple avenues of support from academic
institutions to address environmental, economic, and social issues that impact their quality of life. Her
current portfolio includes facilitating her CUPP initiated collaborative partnership projects for communities
with environment justice concerns in North Port St. Joe, Florida; Africatown, Alabama; and the
Gullah/Geechee Nation of St. Helena Island, South Carolina. These coastal communities share common
issues including storm surges and hurricanes, flooding, uninhabitable houses and businesses, adverse
environmental impacts from industries, air and water quality concerns, erosion and sea level rise, and
loss of economy. Bonita also serves as the Water Division Environmental Justice Co-Lead, and Co-Chair
of the Federal Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Environmental Justice, Regional IWG Committee
that works collaboratively with committee members from federal agencies to promote and implement
innovative and comprehensive solutions to address environmental justice issues; to develop partnerships
with academic institutions to assist in providing long-term technical assistance to overburdened
communities; and to foster a coordinated approach to delivering federal support and technical assistance
to improve local community sustainability. […]
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