Joan Jackson Johnson
Joan Jackson Johnson, affectionately known as ‘Triple J,’ is dedicated to the struggles of the poor and vulnerable. Johnson, a clinical psychologist, is the principal owner of the East Lansing Center for the Family and has been the Director of the Human Relations and Community Services Department (HRCS) for the City of Lansing since 2006.
Johnson focuses on improving the lives of poor children and families, food security, and homelessness. Under her tenure at the HRCS, she has led innovative programming directed to the neediest citizens, including the monthly Mobile Food Pantry, the Spring Break Feeding Program, Weekend Survival Kits, Kids Connect, Lansing Community Connect, One Church One Family, facilitating service opportunities between the Spartans Giving Pack Program and the local community, and matching faith-based community resources with human services through the Meet the Need Program.
Johnson serves on many boards, including 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. She has also received many awards, including the KC Family of the Year Award, Advent House Volunteer of the Year, State of Michigan Volunteer Family of the Year, Father Mac (Lansing Catholic Central) Award for Community Service, NAACP Citizen of the Year, and many other awards.