The Graduate School of Political Management named a new acting executive director Thursday, after the departure of the original acting director last week.

Dennis Johnson, who has worked at the school in various roles for almost 20 years, will replace interim director Chuck Cushman, who announced his resignation Friday as tension within the school continued to rise.

Johnson served as associate dean of the school for 11 years and was director of the master’s degree program in legislative affairs for seven years. He founded and serves as editor of GSPM’s Series on Applied Politics, a multi-volume work analyzing campaigns.

“I asked Dennis to serve because he is a long-time GSPM faculty member, committed to the School’s success, and is also one of the few GSPM faculty to possess significant administrative experience above the level of program director,” College of Professional Studies Dean Kathleen Burke said in an e-mail.

A source inside GSPM said Johnson is unpopular within the school, another source of discontent for the already irked faculty, alumni and students who are worried about Burke’s oversight of the program.

Over the last year, the graduate program has undergone two search processes to find a new executive director. After the first round of candidates were deemed unfit for the job, a second search was launched in February.

Throughout the search, faculty and alumni voiced their concerns with the decision-making process and the future of the school, saying Burke repeatedly failed to take their interests into account.

Burke and Provost Steven Lerman have been working together to finalize the second search committee on which Johnson is slated to take part, and select an outside firm to assist in the process. University spokeswoman Courtney Bowe declined to comment on Lerman’s behalf.

Johnson, who is currently on leave serving as a Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, was not immediately available for comment. He will assume his position July 1.