Title: Chief Financial Officer
Company: Center for Nonprofit Advancement
Location: Lanham, Maryland, United States
Erica N. Johnson, DBA, Chief Financial Officer at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in Nonprofit Financial Management.
Dr. Johnson’s career in finance is marked by a series of strategic roles that have honed her expertise in process optimization and efficiency. Since 2024, she has served as the chief financial officer at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. In this capacity, she manages the finance team and oversees financial operations, including grants and fiscal partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Dr. Johnson’s role also involves teaching financial management classes and directing grant disbursement programs.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Center for Nonprofit Advancement has been in existence since 1979, serving to strengthen, promote and represent nonprofit organizations in the D.C., Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through advocacy, education, networking and group buying power, the organization has successfully helped other nonprofits meet their diverse needs.
Before this position, Dr. Johnson founded VIPLA Firm in 2011, where she worked as a consultant and interim controller until 2024. Her firm specialized in financial services for corporations and nonprofits, including accounting, payroll and bookkeeping services, emphasizing a female-driven workforce.
Dr. Johnson’s professional journey included significant contributions to various other organizations, dating back nearly 15 years. As a senior finance and accounting manager at Connexi Procurement and Logistics from 2022 to 2023, she managed complex financial operations. Her earlier tenure included her roles as a judicial accountant at the Office of the Auditor-Master in the D.C. U.S. Superior Courts between 2019 and 2020, program management analyst at the Federal Highway Administration from 2016 to 2017, and senior cost accountant at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center between 2011 and 2016.
In addition to her contributions to the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, Dr. Johnson has been influential as an adjunct professor at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, since 2021, teaching computer concepts and ethical considerations. Her earlier experience as a training instructor with the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2010 to 2011 helped shape her teaching abilities and was pivotal in securing accreditation for education departments across numerous Job Corps centers.
Dr. Johnson’s academic background is extensive and diverse. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2006, a Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance from the University of Phoenix in 2008, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2010, and a Doctor of Business Administration in international business from Walden University LLC in 2014. Her education laid the foundation for her success across various sectors.
Civically involved, Dr. Johnson has served as the executive director of More Than a Protest since 2020. She also volunteers with several organizations, including the KOP Foundation and The Hustlers Guild. Dr. Johnson’s contributions extend to writing articles for Forbes Nonprofit Council, where she shares insights on nonprofit finance strategies.
Dr. Johnson’s tenure at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center earned her the Silver Medal of Achievement Award in 2015 for automating accounting systems. She attributes her success to her openness to new experiences and lifelong learning. She emphasizes clear communication and accountability as essential components of her professional philosophy, offering valuable advice to those entering her field. Looking ahead, Dr. Johnson plans to author a series of self-help books focused on budgeting strategies for individuals and organizations.
For more information, please visit:
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