About Jordan.
Jordan Lacy Johnson is a strategist, public impact leader, and advisor with a record of advancing policy, resilience, and institutional innovation across sectors. Her career spans the White House, state, and local government, with leadership on the frontlines of education, climate strategy, and disaster recovery. A proud Spelman College alumna with a lifelong commitment to public service, she is recognized for her cross-sector fluency and ability to translate bold visions into systems that last.
Jordan has served in both the Obama-Biden and Biden-Harris administrations, most recently as Deputy Director of Advance at the U.S. Department of Education. In this role, she managed national and international logistics, policy visibility, and field execution. Her work impacted over 5,000 higher education institutions, 18,000 school districts, and more than 80,000 public K–12 schools, reaching tens of millions of students and families across all 50 states and U.S. territories. She also led advance operations for the Secretary of Education and coordinated senior-level public engagements alongside the President, Vice President, and other key cabinet officials.
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Prior to her federal service, Jordan held leadership roles in the City of Atlanta under Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, where she oversaw press and public communications for a population of more than 500,000 residents. As part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative, she led strategy and execution for the city’s first solar-powered recreation center for youth and the opening of the largest agricultural food forest in the country. She shaped resilience communications during climate and public health emergencies and is a published writer on sustainable topics including electric vehicle access and urban energy innovation.
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In 2018, Jordan began consulting independently for nonprofit leaders, political agencies, and fortune-500 executives. Jordan’s thought leadership includes contributions to the United Nations Systems Staff College, where she explored disaster risk reduction, the Paris Agreement as a development agenda, and climate adaptation at scale. She is currently a Foreign Policy for America Fellow and continues to advise partners across education, sustainable systems, and international development with a forward-looking, pragmatic approach to public impact.
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She has been recognized for her leadership across government, philanthropy, and education, and remains a trusted voice on the future of public systems. Her work bridges the local and the global, building a future that is responsive, resilient, and rooted in service.
Leadership in Action
Facilitated a roundtable at the National Civil Rights Institute with the Mayor of Birmingham and HBCU Presidents from across Alabama, to align on education and sustainable infrastructure.
“Strengthening HBCUs
strengthens the infrastructure of our nation.”
— Jordan Lacy Johnson