Cheryl L. Johnson

Cheryl Lynn Johnson[2][1] (born 1960) is an American government official who has served as the 36th Clerk of the United States House of Representatives since February 26, 2019.[3]

Cheryl L. Johnson
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office February 26, 2019
Preceded by	Karen L. Haas
Personal details
Born	1960 (age 60–61)[1] New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Iowa (BA) Howard University (JD)

Early life and education

Johnson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Reverend Charlie and Cynthia Davis.[4]

Johnson graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication in 1980.[5] She earned her law degree from the Howard University School of Law in 1983.[6] Johnson later attended the Harvard Kennedy School's senior management program in 1988.[3][1]

Career

Johnson served as director and counsel for the Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials, House Committee on Post Office, and Civil Service Subcommittee on Investigations. She worked with the Subcommittee chair, Bill Clay, to exercise oversight and legislative responsibility over the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution.[7][3]

Johnson served as the chief education and investigative counsel for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. She was the principal policy advisor and spokesperson for the Committee.[7][3] She primarily focused elementary and secondary education issues, juvenile justice, child nutrition, labor issues, and older Americans' employment and nutrition programs.[4]

After nearly twenty years in the House of Representatives, Johnson went on to serve in the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Government Relations for ten years, serving one of those years as director.[7]

Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives

In late December 2018, Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi named Johnson as her choice for the next Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.[8] On February 25, 2019 Johnson was sworn as the 36th Clerk and assumed the role on February 26, 2019. She was preceded by Karen L. Haas. The son of former Representative Bill Clay, Representative Lacy Clay, welcomed Johnson during her swearing in on the House floor.[9][10]

Personal life

Johnson lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband Clarence Ellison and their son Bradford.[7]

She is a member of the District of Columbia and Louisiana Bars. She serves on the board of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church and the Faith and Politics Institute.[11]

References

1. Hubbell, Martindale (March 2001). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, U.S. Government Lawyers, Law Schools (Volume 4 - 2001). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561604395.
2. "Cheryl Johnson sworn in as 36th clerk of U.S. House of Representatives | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved Jul 20, 2020.
3. "Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
4. MASSA, DOMINIC |. "New Orleans native to serve as new clerk of U.S. House of Representatives". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
5. "University of Iowa (Class of 1980 Yearbook) - page 108". Retrieved Jul 20, 2020.
6. Howard University (Class of 1983 Yearbook)
7. "Pelosi Floor Speech Marking the Swearing-In of Cheryl Johnson as House Clerk". Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
8. Tully-McManus, Katherine; Tully-McManus, Katherine (2018-12-28). "Pelosi Names Cheryl Johnson to Be House Clerk". Retrieved 2019-10-01.
9. "Cheryl Johnson sworn in as 36th clerk of U.S. House of Representatives | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
10. "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
11. "Speaker-designate Pelosi Names Cheryl Johnson New Clerk of the House of Representatives | Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies". jointcenter.org. Retrieved 2019-10-01.

External links

• Media related to Cheryl L. Johnson at Wikimedia Commons