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Joan Jackson Johnson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and principal owner of the East Lansing Center for the Family, has been the Director of the Human Relations and Community Services Department (HRCS) for the City of Lansing since 2006, whose purpose is to foster community connections, coordinate local human services, uphold principles of equal opportunity, and pursue innovative funding and federal mandates that address homelessness and other community social challenges. Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Edward Waters College with a Masters and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Joan, and husband Vern, are the proud parents of five children and two grandchildren. They have also served as foster and adoptive parents. Joan found her calling early in life, and has dedicated herself for many decades to the struggles of the poor and vulnerable. Through her own experiences growing up in inner city Jacksonville, Florida, she knows firsthand the obstacles of disadvantage, discrimination and under-privilege. Her personal passions focus primarily on poor children and families, food security and homelessness. Her work at the City of Lansing HRCS Department has been marked by innovative programming directed to the most needy citizens, including the monthly Mobile Food Pantry, monthly meal with Loaves & Fishes, Advent House Breakfast 2-3 times a month, the Children Feeding Program, Weekend Survival Kits and Kids Connect (for school-aged children), Lansing Community Connect and One Church One Family for homeless families and individuals, facilitating service opportunities between the Spartans Giving Back Program, Pre-eviction Prevention Program with Public Housing families and the local community, and matching the Faith based community’s resources with human services needs through the Meet the Need Program. Currently, Dr. Johnson serves on the Boards of Directors for the Community Coalition for Youth; Capital Area Health Alliance, Tri-County Office on Aging, Capital Area Community Services, Ingham County Child Death Review, Ingham County FIRM, Ingham County Investors Steering Committee, Capital Region Community Foundation, Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Steering Committee, Ingham County Change Initiative, and One Church One Family just to name a few. Among her many honors Dr. Johnson cherishes the KC Family of the Year Award, Advent House Volunteer of the Year, State of Michigan Volunteer Family of the Year, Michigan Women Hall of Fame, Father Mac (Lansing Diocese) Award for Community Service, the NAACP Citizen of the Year for Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Diocese of Lansing Community Service Award, the Greater Lansing Homeless Resolution Network the Power of One Year Award, MSU School of Social Work Award, the NANBPWC, Inc. Sojourner Truth Award and a host of others too numerous to mention. Dr. Johnson works tirelessly to serve the citizens of Lansing and to cultivate a community culture of diversity, equity and non-discrimination. “Triple J”, as she is known to her friends, works tirelessly, 24/7 for all her causes, with a contagious enthusiasm, passion and zeal, enlisting family, friends, co-workers, businesses, and yes, even innocent bystanders to join her. |
