After 20 months leading the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, Antwyne “A.J.” Johnson has traded emergency management for a new challenge in municipal government.
Johnson left the county last week and began work Monday, Sept. 21, as city manager for the City of Prairie View, marking his first position as a city manager. While he described leaving Liberty County as a difficult decision, he said the opportunity was one he could not pass up.
“It was bittersweet,” Johnson said. “It was hard. It was a very difficult decision.”
Johnson came to Liberty County in early 2025 and spent much of his tenure strengthening relationships among the agencies and organizations that play critical roles before, during and after emergencies.
He said those relationships — with law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, school districts, chambers of commerce, media and others — are among the things he will remember most about his time in Liberty County.
“Just good people,” Johnson said. “Anytime I needed some help, they were already there.”
His tenure also happened to fall during a relatively quiet stretch for a county accustomed to hurricanes, floods and other major weather events, earning Johnson a joking designation as something of a good-luck charm. Liberty County experienced winter weather, heavy rain and an EF-0 tornado in the Cleveland area in February, but escaped a major hurricane during Johnson’s time at the helm.
Even during quieter periods, Johnson said the job was about preparing for the next emergency. One of his priorities was bringing additional training opportunities to Liberty County first responders. He worked to arrange classes for volunteer and career firefighters as well as law enforcement, including courses offered through Texas A&M.
“I had classes from Texas A&M coming in almost every other month,” he said.
Communication with the public was another priority. Johnson worked with Bluebonnet News and other media regularly to provide timely information during weather threats, road closures and other situations affecting Liberty County residents.
“Communication was big,” he said.
Among the accomplishments Johnson said he is proudest of was Liberty County’s response to the devastating July flooding in the Texas Hill Country. The county collected supplies for flood victims and transported donated goods to Kerrville as communities along the Guadalupe River began recovering from the disaster.
Johnson also pointed to securing grant funding for cleanup efforts in Liberty County as another accomplishment during his tenure.
Although his new job takes him outside Liberty County, Johnson made it clear he does not consider his departure permanent. He said he hopes his career eventually brings him back to Liberty County and the community he came to consider home.
When asked what he wanted to say to Liberty County residents as he departed, Johnson kept the message simple.
“I want to say thank you,” he said. “Liberty County is always in my heart.”
For Johnson, the move to Prairie View represents a new chapter rather than a closing one.
“It’s not goodbye,” he said. “It’s see you later.”
Madison Gonzalez, who served as Johnson’s deputy in the Office of Emergency Management, is serving as interim director while Liberty County searches for Johnson’s permanent successor. The county has posted the position and is accepting candidates for the job.