CHANGING LIVES AND BUILDING FUTURES,
TEACHER. LEADER. ARTIST. INNOVATOR.
As a passionate advocate for theater education, Cimino-Johnson (CJ) is thrilled to contribute to the growth and development of the arts community, empower students, and foster a love for the arts among young learners.
Cimino-Johnson is an experienced Executive Director, Theatre Teacher, Artistic Director, and Arts Advocate. With a passion for theater education, he has successfully founded and nurtured an award-winning, robust, diverse, and inclusive theater program at Rock Ridge High School Performing Arts. His program is widely recognized for its excellence and impact on students.
Throughout his tenure as a theatre teacher, his focus has been on providing access to the arts for all students and community members. As a result, he has secured $2.8 million in annual arts funding to support theatre education programs throughout Loudoun County Public Schools through a successful year long arts advocacy and grassroots effort. He pioneered the implementation of the first relaxed performance of theater in Loudoun, ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for patrons with special needs and small children. He led the advocacy work for the creation of a Theater Specialist position in Loudoun County Public Schools to serve as an advocate and curriculum specialist for the county. However, most notable are his contributions to the state of Virginia, by developing and implementing the state's first Dual Enrollment Theatre Program, enabling high school students to earn college credits in theater. Throughout the past 10 years, his students have been awarded over 1200 College Credits and have saved his students over $600,000 in college tuition. Additionally, Cimino-Johnson has directed his students through national premiere productions and tour productions to various states in the U.S. and internationally, including participation in the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. With a deep commitment to fostering student interest and engagement in theater arts, he has consistently achieved annual enrollment between 15% and 20% of the school's population. Additionally, his students have been awarded over $8.1 million dollars worth of scholarship monies to attend colleges across the country.
Recognized as an expert in theater education, Cimino-Johnson is frequently invited to present at national conferences, sharing his expertise and best practices with educators across the United States. He also served as a mentor to several of his colleagues throughout the state of Virginia, provided guidance and support on curriculum development and instructional strategies, and advocated for the implementation of the mandatory fine arts credit reinstatement as part of the high school graduation requirement. His dedication to theater education on the national level has earned him invitations to federal and state congressional award ceremonies, including a prestigious event at the White House for his international relations work in partnering with a school in Canada to develop and support the North American Premiere of "Ernest and the Pale Moon".
Cimino-Johnson also serves as the Executive Director and Founder of Rock Ridge Drama Booster's Broadway Bound Summer Program. In this role, over the last 9 years, he has seen exponential growth. By developing a unique curriculum, his program provides Theatre Arts Access to over 500 students annually in grades K - 9. Additionally, the program staff of 40+ are paid commensurate with experience, no one less than $19 an hour, and several more than most summer stock theatres around the country. The summer program also houses a unique internship program for grades 9 - 12 that provides theatre education opportunities to high school students who are considering education as a future career. Finally, Cimino-Johnson has created a Unified Theatre Arts Summer program that provides affordable access to the arts for special needs students from around the DMV.
Cimino-Johnson served as the Virginia Thespian Chapter Director from 2017 - 2022. As Chapter Director, he helped lead the chapter to historic numbers, and oversaw the budget during the 2020 Pandemic to ensure that the organization would remain fiscally solvent. Additionally, as a result of his leadership, Cimino-Johnson led the effort to hire the countries first Executive Director of a state chapter for the Educational Theatre Association, immediately following the pandemic. Cimino-Johnson now serves in an advisory capacity, as he led the transition from the Chapter Festival from a university, to a Broadway Touring House and Convention Center. In 2022, and 2023, year after year, the chapter continues to grow exponentially ensuring access to theatre arts education for students from around the state.
Cimino-Johnson also serves as an adjunct professor of Theatre Arts at Richard Bland College of William & Mary. In addition to his professional work, he actively engage in community service initiatives. He serves on the Leesburg Parks and Recreation Committee, the Loudoun Arts Commission, the Loudoun County Public School Equity Committee, and the Loudoun Education Association VEA Representative. Cimino-Johnson is also a founder of the Blue Ridge Cappies, and currently serves as Treasurer, whether the work of theatre students are recognized in a touring house in the DMV.
His dedication to the arts has been recognized through numerous awards, including being named in Loudoun's 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 and receiving the Premiere Community for Theatre Education award from the Educational Theatre Association. Only 25 in the Nation received such award. Additionally, his students are State Champions in the Virginia High School League Theatre Program, the Virginia Thespian Festival, the Virginia Theatre Association Secondary Festival. CJ, as his students fondly refer to him as, has been finalist for Teacher of the Year in Loudoun County Public Schools. In 2022, his students received more scholarship monies from college institutions than any other students at his school Rock Ridge High School.
Cimino-Johnson holds a Virginia State Teacher's Certificate in Theatre Education. He holds an MFA in Theatre Education from Mississippi University for Women and have completed leadership development programs in educational theatre. Cimino-Johnson also holds a Masters Certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut and an Masters Certificate in School Violence and Bullying from the University of La Verne. He is currently a candidate for the National Board Certification in CTE through the technical theatre program. He has earned his MA in Drama Therapy from New York University and my BA in Theatre Arts from McDaniel College.
Cimino-Johnson is an experienced Executive Director, Theatre Teacher, Artistic Director, and Arts Advocate. With a passion for theater education, he has successfully founded and nurtured an award-winning, robust, diverse, and inclusive theater program at Rock Ridge High School Performing Arts. His program is widely recognized for its excellence and impact on students.
Throughout his tenure as a theatre teacher, his focus has been on providing access to the arts for all students and community members. As a result, he has secured $2.8 million in annual arts funding to support theatre education programs throughout Loudoun County Public Schools through a successful year long arts advocacy and grassroots effort. He pioneered the implementation of the first relaxed performance of theater in Loudoun, ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for patrons with special needs and small children. He led the advocacy work for the creation of a Theater Specialist position in Loudoun County Public Schools to serve as an advocate and curriculum specialist for the county. However, most notable are his contributions to the state of Virginia, by developing and implementing the state's first Dual Enrollment Theatre Program, enabling high school students to earn college credits in theater. Throughout the past 10 years, his students have been awarded over 1200 College Credits and have saved his students over $600,000 in college tuition. Additionally, Cimino-Johnson has directed his students through national premiere productions and tour productions to various states in the U.S. and internationally, including participation in the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. With a deep commitment to fostering student interest and engagement in theater arts, he has consistently achieved annual enrollment between 15% and 20% of the school's population. Additionally, his students have been awarded over $8.1 million dollars worth of scholarship monies to attend colleges across the country.
Recognized as an expert in theater education, Cimino-Johnson is frequently invited to present at national conferences, sharing his expertise and best practices with educators across the United States. He also served as a mentor to several of his colleagues throughout the state of Virginia, provided guidance and support on curriculum development and instructional strategies, and advocated for the implementation of the mandatory fine arts credit reinstatement as part of the high school graduation requirement. His dedication to theater education on the national level has earned him invitations to federal and state congressional award ceremonies, including a prestigious event at the White House for his international relations work in partnering with a school in Canada to develop and support the North American Premiere of "Ernest and the Pale Moon".
Cimino-Johnson also serves as the Executive Director and Founder of Rock Ridge Drama Booster's Broadway Bound Summer Program. In this role, over the last 9 years, he has seen exponential growth. By developing a unique curriculum, his program provides Theatre Arts Access to over 500 students annually in grades K - 9. Additionally, the program staff of 40+ are paid commensurate with experience, no one less than $19 an hour, and several more than most summer stock theatres around the country. The summer program also houses a unique internship program for grades 9 - 12 that provides theatre education opportunities to high school students who are considering education as a future career. Finally, Cimino-Johnson has created a Unified Theatre Arts Summer program that provides affordable access to the arts for special needs students from around the DMV.
Cimino-Johnson served as the Virginia Thespian Chapter Director from 2017 - 2022. As Chapter Director, he helped lead the chapter to historic numbers, and oversaw the budget during the 2020 Pandemic to ensure that the organization would remain fiscally solvent. Additionally, as a result of his leadership, Cimino-Johnson led the effort to hire the countries first Executive Director of a state chapter for the Educational Theatre Association, immediately following the pandemic. Cimino-Johnson now serves in an advisory capacity, as he led the transition from the Chapter Festival from a university, to a Broadway Touring House and Convention Center. In 2022, and 2023, year after year, the chapter continues to grow exponentially ensuring access to theatre arts education for students from around the state.
Cimino-Johnson also serves as an adjunct professor of Theatre Arts at Richard Bland College of William & Mary. In addition to his professional work, he actively engage in community service initiatives. He serves on the Leesburg Parks and Recreation Committee, the Loudoun Arts Commission, the Loudoun County Public School Equity Committee, and the Loudoun Education Association VEA Representative. Cimino-Johnson is also a founder of the Blue Ridge Cappies, and currently serves as Treasurer, whether the work of theatre students are recognized in a touring house in the DMV.
His dedication to the arts has been recognized through numerous awards, including being named in Loudoun's 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 and receiving the Premiere Community for Theatre Education award from the Educational Theatre Association. Only 25 in the Nation received such award. Additionally, his students are State Champions in the Virginia High School League Theatre Program, the Virginia Thespian Festival, the Virginia Theatre Association Secondary Festival. CJ, as his students fondly refer to him as, has been finalist for Teacher of the Year in Loudoun County Public Schools. In 2022, his students received more scholarship monies from college institutions than any other students at his school Rock Ridge High School.
Cimino-Johnson holds a Virginia State Teacher's Certificate in Theatre Education. He holds an MFA in Theatre Education from Mississippi University for Women and have completed leadership development programs in educational theatre. Cimino-Johnson also holds a Masters Certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut and an Masters Certificate in School Violence and Bullying from the University of La Verne. He is currently a candidate for the National Board Certification in CTE through the technical theatre program. He has earned his MA in Drama Therapy from New York University and my BA in Theatre Arts from McDaniel College.
BUILDING FUTURESMr. CJ is committed to producing and directing entirely student driven productions, where his students design and execute. By providing the tools and knowledge of design, he unlocks a creative passion within the student. When CJ works with his students, he educates them on how to design and execute their work for the stage. This empowers them to tackle real life challenges and helps lay a foundation for their future regardless of their chosen career path.
EMPOWER AND EMBOLDEN |
IMPACTING LIVES,
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THE MAKING OF NEWSIESIn this award winning video, Cimino-Johnson approached Loudoun County Public Schools to document the making of a musical to help educate the community, and the administrators of LCPS what it takes to produce musical theatre. From start to finish, this video captures the true essence of live theatre in Loudoun County Public Schools.
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