Renard U. Johnson Bio
Renard U. Johnson (born July 28, 1966) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 53rd mayor of El Paso, Texas. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, Johnson assumed office on January 6, 2025, becoming the first Black mayor of El Paso. He built a 40-year career in federal contracting and founded Management and Engineering Technologies International Inc. (METI Inc.) in 1994, a company that grew to hundreds of employees and major government contracts. He also founded El Perro Grande Tequila and owns local real estate. Johnson campaigned on economic development, property tax relief, and uniting the city council.
Early Life and Background
Renard U. Johnson was born on July 28, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, to Alvin Johnson and Louise Johnson. The family moved to El Paso, Texas, when he was seven months old, and he grew up in Northeast El Paso. Johnson attended Andress High School and graduated in 1984. He went on to attend the University of Texas at El Paso, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1995. In 2015, UTEP’s Woody L. Hunt School of Business recognized him as a distinguished alumnus for his professional achievements and community contributions.
Johnson came of age in a household shaped by federal contracting. His parents, Alvin and Louise Johnson, ran a federal contracting firm, and young Renard was introduced to the industry early in life. The example set by his parents laid the foundation for the four-decade business career he would later build in the same field.
Path to Public Service
Before entering politics, Renard U. Johnson established himself as a business leader in El Paso. He worked for 14 years at his parents’ federal contracting firm, eventually rising to the position of Senior Vice President of Operations. In 1994, he founded Management and Engineering Technologies International Inc. (METI Inc.), a professional services company headquartered in El Paso that provides systems engineering, information processing, and natural resource management support to government and private clients. METI Inc. grew rapidly, expanding from roughly $400,000 in annual sales and seven employees in 1999 to about $45.2 million in sales and 450 employees by 2003.
Johnson became an active civic leader alongside his business career. He served as chairman of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2009, and as president and chairman of The Texas Lyceum in 2017. He also served on boards including the El Paso Boys and Girls Club, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas El Paso branch, the Texas Cultural Trust, and the Hospitals of Providence in El Paso. He is currently chairman of the board of the Trellis Company, a non-profit guarantor of federal student loans, and twice served as interim CEO of the organization. These roles helped prepare him for his transition to elected office.
Renard U. Johnson Career
Early Career and Business Founding (1984–2003)
After graduating from Andress High School in 1984, Renard U. Johnson joined his parents’ federal contracting firm and spent 14 years there, becoming Senior Vice President of Operations. In 1994, he founded METI Inc., a professional services company providing systems engineering, information processing, and natural resource management to government and private clients. Under his leadership, METI Inc. expanded from about seven employees in 1999 to roughly 450 employees by 2003, with annual sales growing from approximately $400,000 to $45.2 million during the same period.
The company earned national recognition for its growth and leadership. In 2004, Inc. 500 Magazine listed METI Inc. as the sixth-fastest growing company in the United States. The firm was also named one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the country, and its contracts have included work with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Navy.
Business Expansion and Recognition (2009–2020)
In 2009, Renard U. Johnson was named chairman of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, deepening his involvement in the regional business community. METI Inc. continued to grow, reaching approximately 800 employees and six locations worldwide, anchored by its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. In 2019, the United States Department of Commerce honored Johnson with the Robert J. Brown Minority Business Enterprise of the Year award, recognizing his leadership in the industry.
Beyond METI Inc., Johnson diversified his business interests. He built and owns Franklin Avenue Apartments, a 14-unit apartment building located near Southwest University Park in downtown El Paso. In 2020, he founded a second company, El Perro Grande Tequila, a tequila brand packaged in a bottle shaped like a Chihuahua and decorated with imagery reflecting El Paso. The brand drew national attention when Forbes Magazine named El Perro Grande one of the five best tequilas in the world in 2025.
Mayor of El Paso Era (2025–Present)
Renard U. Johnson entered the 2024 El Paso mayoral race as one of eight candidates in the November 5, 2024 general election, finishing first with 32.5% of the vote. In a run-off election on December 14, 2024, he defeated city representative Brian Kennedy, winning 56% of the vote in a low-turnout election. Johnson took office on January 6, 2025, succeeding businessman Oscar Lesser, and his term is set to end in 2029.
As mayor, Johnson has focused on economic development, property tax relief for homeowners, and bringing the city council together behind a shared vision for El Paso. In June 2025, he presented the Key of El Paso to the band Coldplay. In October 2025, he cast a tie-breaking vote that would have allowed the El Paso City Council to negotiate a memorandum of understanding and lease space at the El Paso International Airport with the Transportation Security Administration, explaining that he voted against the measure because city government did not have legal authority to prevent the playing of a related TSA video.
Johnson’s mayoral agenda has also addressed federal-local issues. In January 2026, he called for an independent investigation into the death of Gerardo Lunas Campos at the Camp East Montana ICE detention center in El Paso. In February 2026, he criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to temporarily close the airspace over El Paso, citing the lack of communication and coordination with local officials.
Notable Events and Milestones
Renard U. Johnson’s most significant milestone is becoming the first Black mayor of El Paso, a historic achievement in a city with a long political tradition. In 2024, the El Paso Times named him the Times Newsmaker of the Year, recognizing his rise from local business leader to the city’s top elected office.
Renard U. Johnson Awards and Honors
Renard U. Johnson has received recognition for his work in business, education, and civic leadership throughout his career.
Business and Community Honors
In 2015, the Woody L. Hunt School of Business at the University of Texas at El Paso named Johnson a distinguished alumnus. In 2019, the United States Department of Commerce honored him with the Robert J. Brown Minority Business Enterprise of the Year award. In 2024, the El Paso Times recognized him as the Times Newsmaker of the Year. Forbes Magazine also named his El Perro Grande Tequila one of the five best tequilas in the world in 2025, adding a consumer accolade to his business record.
Renard U. Johnson Family
Family Background and Civic Lineage
Renard U. Johnson was born to Alvin Johnson and Louise Johnson, who ran a federal contracting firm that helped introduce their son to the industry. The family moved from Chicago to El Paso when he was an infant, and he has remained tied to the city ever since. His brother, Timothy Johnson, is a businessman who was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2024 for operating a pyramid scheme by claiming to be a promoter for the National Basketball Association. Renard Johnson has stated publicly that he is estranged from his brother.
Personal Life
Renard U. Johnson was married to Caribe Devine, a television news anchor who worked in El Paso and Phoenix. The couple later divorced. They have two daughters, Nevaeh (born 2009) and Aviva (born 2013). Johnson resides in El Paso, Texas, where he has built his businesses, civic work, and now serves as mayor.