Leadership
Leonid Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of CommUnity of the Deaf, Inc, a community-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the underserved deaf and hard of hearing individuals within the Caribbean community.
After growing up in a Jamaican household where education was deeply valued and continuously pursued, Leonid understands the discrimination and inequity that deaf Jamaicans face within their daily lives. Educational opportunities have historically been limited due to lack of resources combined with public oppression, and Leonid knew that a powerful opportunity existed to redefine this narrative for deaf individuals within the Caribbean and around the world.
Through advocacy, leadership workshops, training opportunities, and educational development programs, CUD strives to improve quality of life for the deaf community, while serving as a proud voice for deaf youth and adults of Caribbean descent.
As he leads CUD into the future, Leonid continues to pursue his passion for educational development in his personal life as well. After graduating from Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf, Kingston, Jamaica, and National Technical Institute of the Deaf, Rochester, New York, he remains focused on his future dream of attaining a degree in international development.