MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs #363: Adria Johnson

Adria embodies hope, integrity, humanity & has focused her career on lifting some of society’s most vulnerable populations & being of service to others. She is a dedicated & well-respected servant leader with more than 26 yrs. of hands-on experience in both the public/private sectors. Her proven ability to lead efforts toward reform & work collaboratively across a wide range of stakeholders has served her well in her current position of Chief Impact Officer for Metro United Way and prior roles held in KY. State Govt. & Lou. Metro Govt. Her leadership has been instrumental in bringing about expanded service provision in many areas, including neighborhood revitalization supports, preventive services for children & youth at risk of abuse or neglect, comprehensive services for children & youth with greater behavioral & developmental needs, employment opportunities for youth aging out of foster care, & dev. of workforce opportunities for social services disciplines. Also, Adria has stood at the forefront & led & supported efforts to address racial disparities & equity concerns within the populations served in child welfare. Before joining Metro United Way, Adria served as Commissioner & Deputy Commissioner of the Ky. Dept. for Community-Based Services. Before joining state govt. Ms. Johnson held key roles in Lou. Metro Government ranging from Capital Planning Analyst in the Office of Mgt. & Budget to Acting Dir. of the Dept. of Community Services & Revitalization. Adria’s strong fiscal experience was gained in various roles held in the private sector for the 1st half of her career at Humana, LG&E & Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. She completed her undergraduate studies at Ball St. Univ. & completed several post-graduate courses from the Univ. of Lou. She is ALSO a published author, having published a book of poetry in 2004. Adria is a native of Lou. & has 2 children, a daughter named is Brenlie & a son named Kenneth (but she has called him KJ since birth-(hey I kind of like those initials…wink), & 2 precious grandchildren-a grandson named Kye, & a granddaughter named is Amerie.