149 Millennium - Twenty-fourth Edition SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC SERVICE, NONPROFIT AND HUMANITIES officer. Over the years, she has advanced through various leadership positions and is now second in command, serving as the deputy secretary of support services. In this role, she leads 12 units composed of approximately 450 personnel and oversees the department’s operational and support functions. Her responsibilities also include community services that support 2,500 to 3,800 youth in a single day. Ms. Johnson’s work is often difficult, but she is driven by the young people she knows her department is impacting. Some of the youth they support have never owned new shoes, worn clean clothes or had someone genuinely care about them. She believes that it is only when they enter the department that they can begin focusing on the next chapter of their story. This is what keeps her going. In addition to her career, Ms. Johnson recently completed a draft of a self-help book, which includes a workbook and journals to support young adult women. The book draws on her own experiences as a survivor of abuse. At 26, she joined the army to escape domestic violence and protect her children. Unfortunately, her military service included attacks that caused a traumatic brain injury and an assault by a peer. These experiences have left Ms. Johnson with a clear message for women: stay aware, be mindful of warning signs, and do not let fear overtake your life. They also enable her to approach her work with youth with a level of empathy and understanding that is often unmatched. Looking ahead, Ms. Johnson hopes to run a business providing life skills tailored to youth ages 10 to 24. The customized program will offer financial literacy and include a teen-parent prevention and support component to help families succeed. T iffani Johnson’s life has been marked by numerous hardships. Nevertheless, she has persevered and is now using her experiences to support in-need children and youth through the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. Ms. Johnson has been with the department since 2013, where she began as a fiscal service TIFFANI JOHNSON DEPUTY SECRETARY OF SUPPORT SERVICES Maryland Department of Juvenile Services White Plains, MD
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