Sheila C. Johnson, CEO, has enjoyed success in many areas. Co-founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television), she is also a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC, and RLJ Development. Lincoln Holdings, a Washington, DC based company, is the majority owner of the NHL Washington Capitols and the WNBA's Washington Mystics as well as a partner of the NBA's Washington Wizards and the state-of-the-art Verizon Center. Mrs. Johnson sits on the boards of Parsons The New School for Design, The Whitney Museum of American Art, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, and the United States Equestrian Federation. She also serves as a Global Ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization whose mission is to fight global poverty.

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. The Woodlands Resort & Inn, in Summerville, SC, is one of only three resorts in the United States to receive the prestigious Mobil five-star rating for both lodging and dining. In 2008 Travel + Leisure selected The 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 Resort & Golf Club, a 900 acre, 72 hole PGA tour golf course in Palm Harbor, FL. In 2008, the company started construction on Salamander Resort & Spa in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Middleburg, VA, which is poised to become one of the most unique and sought after retreats in the world when it opens in early 2010.

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 served as sole executive producer on her second film, A Powerful Noise, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

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.

An avid supporter of the arts and an accomplished violinist, Ms. Johnson dedicates her time to organizations that create opportunities for children to express and explore their creativity. She serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design in New York and sits on the boards of VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, Americans for the Arts, the Curry School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia, and the University of Illinois Foundation.

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.