Leslie Johnson, a leader with over 20 years in early childhood, human service, and social service experience, joined One Hope United as Executive Director of Early Learning and Child Development on March 11, 2019.

In this executive leadership role, Johnson will oversee One Hope United’s 12 child care and early education centers, which provide high quality early care and education to over 2,200 children each year, as well as our home visiting programs, which help young and first-time parents navigate their new responsibilities and support their children’s development. All of these programs serve children and families living in northern Illinois and Chicago.

“Working with families and communities in the ELCD arena has always taught me more about myself and fostered my passion for serving others. I do believe that quality services in Early Learning and Child Development create a solid foundation for children and families to grow exponentially,” said Johnson.

Johnson’s experience includes work in Head Start, Early Head Start, and Healthy Families programming, directing regional management and support staff to work with families to achieve their goals.

Johnson worked as a Management Consultant to Head Start and Early Head Start programs in both Illinois and Indiana.  She also worked for the Indiana Institute of Disability and Community as a Research Associate and Child Care Health Consultant, where she was a member of the initial team that implemented the Quality Rating and Improvement System used for child care providers across Indiana.

As Johnson continued her career, she has been fortunate enough to lead regional programs such as Success by Six and has most recently led Statewide Supports for Child Care Resource and Referral programs in Indiana. She holds a BS in Public Affairs from Indiana University and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, where she received Outstanding Professional Honors in her cohort.