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Johnny Hembree is a Science and Technology Principal focusing on mission critical facilities at AO Architects, a full-service architectural firm In Orange County, California. In his role as Principal, Johnny is responsible for key strategic accounts, client and project management as well as sales and marketing initiatives for the firm nationwide. He has been with AO Architects since 2020 and has been in the mission critical industry for 20+ years.
Involvement in Mission Critical Industry
Johnny began his career in Alabama designing at a small data center for the HealthSouth Corporation in 1996. Upon moving to Atlanta in 1997, he began building mission critical relationships that have led to the completion of millions of square feet of white space ranging from Tier II to Tier IV. With his healthcare background, Johnny has leveraged his knowledge of critical redundant infrastructure including mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications systems and is recognized as a nationally known industry leader within the trends and planning of mission critical facilities. Johnny has written and published articles about the field for 7×24 Exchange Magazine and is one of the few architects globally that is an Accredited Operational Specialist certified by the Uptime Institute, a well-known IT service management company.
With 34 years of architectural experience, Johnny has a diverse background in project types. He is a registered architect in nine states, and holds several accreditations including NCARB certification, and LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Along with his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Louisiana Tech University, Johnny is a certified interior designer with the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).
Some of his projects include work for GE Appliances, QTS Data Centers, DataBank (Z-Colo), AT&T, SCE&G, SCANA, S1, Internap, DRT, Digital Edge, Equinix, Georgia Power, HP and dcBlox.
Involvement with 7×24 Exchange
In addition to his role at AO, Johnny has been a long-time member of 7×24 Exchange International and more specifically, he has served on the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Chapter for the past 15 years. “The Atlanta Chapter is a very robust and active chapter with a long history in the mission critical industry,” said Hembree. “The large local enterprise service firms and the connection to the internet service providers, makes the Metro Atlanta area a key market for the mission critical industry.” The area has a very solid base of expertise in the industry and is home to many leading firms including end users, consultants, contractors, and equipment vendors that are involved on a global basis. “And I find that Atlanta continues to establish its foothold as the South-Eastern mission critical hub.”
