Having established a distinguished career in public service, Tiffani A. Johnson, MBA, has held the position of deputy secretary of support services at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services since 2024. In this capacity, she oversees more than 450 personnel and manages the operational and support functions that underpin the department. Ms. Johnson’s responsibilities include oversight of residential services for youth placed in state facilities, as well as community services that support up to 3,800 young people daily. Her work affects eight current facilities, as well as two that are in the process of reopening, ensuring organizational excellence, growth and integrity.
Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Johnson first joined the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice in 2013 as a fiscal officer, quickly building her reputation as a first-line supervisor. She was promoted to fiscal chief II, a role she maintained for five years. In 2018, Ms. Johnson became the director of budget management, leading fiscal planning and overseeing resource allocation for key initiatives. She also contributed for several years each as deputy chief financial officer and chief administrative officer.
Extending her expertise beyond state government, Ms. Johnson aided in manpower management as a GS-12 federal employee with the U.S. government in 2018. Applying her knowledge of budgetary processes to her military experience, she served as a financial management analyst with the U.S. Navy for several years. Her professional journey started in 2009 as an equal employment opportunity specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Throughout her tenure at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Ms. Johnson has played a pivotal role in several transformative projects. She is affiliated with the women’s empowerment program, mentoring and veteran programs. Ms. Johnson designed and implemented a logistics unit and revamped new employee orientation. Her leadership was integral to restructuring a multimillion-dollar organization, implementing budgetary reforms for juvenile service education programs and developing a plan for expanding education opportunities through historically Black colleges and universities in the state.
Ms. Johnson’s commitment to the public is rooted in military service. She served as a military police officer in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2020, including deployment to Iraq. Ms. Johnson’s military career included taking on greater responsibility as a program manager for several years. She overcame significant personal challenges throughout her time with the military, including recovering from a traumatic brain injury during training exercises and performing missions close to combat while deployed. She trained Kuwaiti women in special forces combat tactics and later worked as a trainer for the National Guard Bureau until her retirement from military service.
The foundation for Ms. Johnson’s success lies in her academic achievements, beginning with an associate degree in business administration and management from DuBois Business College in 2000. Subsequently, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in human resources from Colorado Technical University in 2010, followed by a Master of Science in homeland security management from the same institution the next year. Returning to that same school, Ms. Johnson earned a Master of Business Administration in organizational leadership and financial management services in 2019. She is committed to continuous learning, as is evident through her many certifications, including: as a property manager from the State of Maryland; in green purchasing from the Maryland Procurement Academy; in contract management from the Maryland Department of Transportation; as an adjunct trainer from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; as a COVID-19 contact tracer through John Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies; and as a level 2 defense financial manager from the U.S. Department of Defense.
To commemorate her accomplishments, Ms. Johnson has been celebrated with a number of accolades. In honor of her military service, she received an Army Achievement Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, an Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and an Iraqi Campaign Medal with a Bronze Star, among others. Ms. Johnson was given the Empowering Women Award by the Maryland Daily Record, which also nominated her as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She was named Employee of the Month by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in 2022 and presented with an Outstanding Support Honoree Award in 2023.
Ms. Johnson attributes her success primarily to her three children — her greatest source of inspiration — and credits her family values for guiding every decision throughout her career. She has witnessed firsthand how juvenile services can transform lives and draws daily motivation from those experiences. Looking to her future, Ms. Johnson envisions leading an organization or launching her own business dedicated to providing comprehensive wraparound services for young people. She plans to focus on life skills development, financial literacy initiatives and holistic family support programs, offering teens and young adults resources to help them thrive.