PORTLAND — Paula Craighead, president of Maine Citizens for Historic Preservation, has announced the appointment of Thomas B. Johnson as executive director of the group.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from American University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine, where he completed interdisciplinary studies in preservation and museum work.

In 1989, Johnson was chosen as the Maine recipient of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Project Prepare fellowship, focusing on growth pressures and the historic environment.