Mercer University’s Executive Forum, presented by Truist, will kick of its 42nd year on Sept. 7 with a presentation by beloved, Emmy-winning sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr. in Macon.

Johnson, a seven-time Emmy Award winner and host of “Inside the NBA” on TNT, will deliver a 6:30 p.m. dinner presentation in the Presidents Dining Room on the Macon campus.

Johnson’s many assignments include host of NBA TV’s popular “Fan Night” for Turner’s and CBS’ NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship coverage. He is the lead play-by-play announcer for Turner’s coverage of Major League Baseball and the PGA Championship and has covered the National Football League, The Open Championship, Wimbledon and the Olympics. 

In addition to many professional accolades and lifetime achievement awards, Johnson has earned honors recognizing his work off-camera, including the first-ever John Wooden Keys to Life Award and a Musial Award, both of which salute characteristics such as integrity, faith and good sportsmanship. 

His willingness to discuss topics such as the adoption of his and his wife’s children, including their special needs son Michael; the death of his father and best friend, iconic sportscaster and pitcher Ernie Johnson; and his own battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma has endeared him and given hope to millions. His new book, Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments that Make Life Extraordinary, takes readers behind the scenes of those very moments and more.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Johnson began his broadcast career in Macon at WMAZ-TV. He currently lives in Braselton with his wife, Cheryl, a Mercer University alumna, and their six children, four of whom are adopted. 

The Executive Forum was founded in 1979 as a business outreach program of Mercer and its School of Business and quickly became an invaluable resource for the business community and professionals across corporate Georgia through the presentation of high-quality management and leadership seminars on timely subjects. 

Mercer alumnus William H. Anderson II, then-President Dr. R. Kirby Godsey and founding dean of the business school Dr. Charles H. Andrews worked with the Office of University Advancement to plan, develop and implement the Forum in order to establish a closer relationship with the business community. 

Over more than four decades of the Executive Forum, countless students and faculty have benefited from exposure to practitioners, and in turn, members of the Forum have benefited from a relationship with academia. These benefits include business networking opportunities, employee development skills and knowledge of current business trends. 

Truist, formerly BB&T, is celebrating its 14th year as presenting sponsor of the Forum. This year’s co-sponsors include The 1842 Inn, Sheridan Construction, Cox Communications, Synovus, Georgia CEO and Georgia Trend. 

The Executive Forum is a membership organization composed of businesses, organizations and individuals. Events are by invitation only to members. For more information on membership, call (800) 837-2911 or (478) 301-4169, or visit forum.mercer.edu/membership.