Mackenzie Johnson, beloved leader in the design industry, dies at 40

Mackenzie Johnson is being remembered by her design industry colleagues for her passion, humor and ability to make people feel seen during her 16-year career at Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, where she rose from receptionist to senior marketing manager.

“People loved her. You knew that she cared,” said Katie Miner, general manager at ADAC. “She wanted things done well and she wanted ADAC to shine. She was a once-in-a-lifetime employee.”

Johnson died of natural causes on May 17, according to her family. She was 40. The official cause of death is pending and a private burial is planned.

Friends, family and colleagues describe Johnson as ambitious yet humble, someone who quietly became a respected leader in the design industry while rarely seeking attention for herself.

“She just made you laugh,” said Miner.

Johnson had a unique way of looking at situations that colleagues came to call “Mackenzie-isms,” Minor added.

Mackenzie LaDonna Johnson was born in Waycross, Georgia in 1986, and was raised in Blackshear and Waycross, her family said.

Her mother chose the name Mackenzie after hearing the name of actress Mackenzie Phillips on the television series “One Day at a Time.” Her middle name, LaDonna, was inspired by her late father, Donald Johnson.

Johnson is survived by her mother Carolyn Mosley Johnson, and brothers, Gavin Johnson and Donald Hargrove.

Mackenzie Johnson moved to metro Atlanta at 17 to attend Kennesaw State University, where she graduated in 2009. The following year, she joined ADAC, a nationally recognized leader in interior design and home fashion.

Colleagues said Johnson “grew up” professionally at ADAC and became widely known throughout the design industry.

“She could call a designer or PR firm in [Los Angeles], and they knew exactly who they were talking to,” Miner said. “They wanted to do what she said because of her passion. She was absolutely beloved.”

Tara Murphy, who works with 360 Media, said she recently complimented Johnson on how she was coming into her own in the industry.

“I think the industry was really taking note of what she was doing at ADAC,” Murphy said. “She had become very comfortable in her role and in what she was bringing to the table.”

Johnson was recognized in 2024 when she was named to Home Furnishings Business magazine’s national “40 Under 40” list honoring emerging leaders in the home furnishings industry.

In her award application, Johnson reflected on the importance of relationships and adaptability in her career, writing that “building strong, lasting relationships” had been essential to her success.

Her older brother, Gavin Johnson, described his sister as a lifelong fashionista who was perfectly suited for the interior design industry. He said he admired how naturally she connected with people.

“She never met a stranger,” he said.

Johnson sometimes accompanied him to Atlanta Hawks and Falcons games, where she would strike up conversations with nearby fans.

“She’d tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘This guy’s from Plano, Texas, where our cousins live,’” he said of one encounter. “I’d be trying to watch the game, and before we left, they’d be hugging her goodbye.”

Gavin said one of his clearest memories of seeing his sister in her professional element came about a decade ago during a partnership between ADAC and the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.

Before attending the festival in Piedmont Park, his sister insisted on stopping by Midtown storefronts participating in the promotion to make sure businesses had the materials and support they needed.

“Everywhere we went, people just lit up when they saw her,” he said. “That was the first time I really got insight into her world.”

Despite her growing prominence, colleagues said Johnson preferred to work behind the scenes.

Just three days before her death, she participated in the American Society of Interior Designers’ annual awards event, presenting on stage alongside another ADAC team member — something Miner said Johnson was initially reluctant to do.

“It was something she absolutely did not want to do,” Miner laughed. “But she was good at it.”

Looking back, Miner said she is grateful colleagues now have photographs and video from what became Johnson’s final public industry appearance.