Title: President
Company: National Women’s Foundation
Location: Washington, D.C., United States
Pamela R. Johnson, president of the National Women’s Foundation, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Dr. Johnson is an internationally recognized leader in public health, digital innovation, and nonprofit development. Currently serving as president of the National Women’s Foundation in Washington, D.C., she has led the strategic expansion of the organization’s humanities and preservation programs. Under her leadership, the Foundation—formerly the WNDC Educational Foundation—has deepened its commitment to preserving women’s contributions to history and inspiring civic engagement across generations.
Dr. Johnson holds a Doctor of Philosophy in medical anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and mathematics from Vassar College. Her interdisciplinary expertise has guided a distinguished five-decade career spanning global health, government reform, and nonprofit advocacy.
Dr. Johnson began her career as assistant to renowned anthropologist Dr. Margaret Mead at the American Museum of Natural History, contributing to the Hall of Pacific Peoples. She later joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she served as a social science advisor and evaluator, and later as coordinator of the Global Child Survival Initiative, overseeing child health programs in more than 50 countries.
A pioneer in mobile health, Dr. Johnson co-founded Voxiva, serving as chief health officer and as president of Voxiva Rwanda. There, she helped develop and deploy digital tools to support HIV/AIDS treatment and maternal-child health. Her contributions in this arena were recognized as groundbreaking for their use of mobile infrastructure to reach underserved populations. She has also held key international leadership roles, including as executive director of the United Nations Efficiency Board, where she directed multi-country initiatives to optimize operational performance, and as deputy director of the White House’s Reinventing Government Initiative, helping modernize federal programs.
An accomplished photographer and writer, Dr. Johnson’s images have appeared in National Geographic, Daily Nation, and Drum, capturing cultural life among the Toraja of Indonesia and Dogon of Mali. She has authored scientific articles on public health and women’s leadership and served as series editor for USAID’s “Reports to Congress on Child Survival.”
Dr. Johnson’s civic and board engagements include roles with FreshFarm Markets as a founding board member, the Child Health Foundation as the vice president, and the Women’s National Democratic Club. She also chaired the centennial celebration for the historic Hotel des Artistes in New York.
Dr. Johnson’s work exemplifies a lifelong dedication to justice, innovation, and equity. Whether advancing women’s rights, designing health technologies, or preserving historical legacies, she has been a catalyst for meaningful and lasting change.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Ms. Johnson:
