Markiesha Johnson is a Detroit Native who is passionate about helping others. Markiesha obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University in 2009. While completing her undergraduate degree, she was offered an internship at Ingham County Circuit Court in the Juvenile Probation Department. Markiesha gained valuable experience working with this population of youth and spent a lot of her time motivating them to do better. Upon graduating with her B.A. in Criminal Justice, Markiesha began her career as a Youth Counselor at Vista Maria (Residential Treatment Facility for Abused, neglected, and delinquent girls). At just 16 years old, Markiesha worked as an Intern at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice for the Honorable Judge Drake. Criminal Justice reform was always something Markiesha was passionate about.

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After gaining valuable experience in the criminal justice field, Markiesha began a new career journey in 2011 at the State of Michigan with The Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Markiesha began her career with MDHHS as a Foster Care Specialist in Wayne County. She brings over 10 years of Child Welfare experience. Markiesha was promoted to a Services Foster Care Program Manager in 2019, where she oversees the daily job functions of service specialists in Foster Care, Juvenile Justice, and Indian Outreach.

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After being gainfully employed and obtaining valuable work experience, Markiesha enrolled in Graduate School at MSU to obtain her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. Despite the sudden loss of her father in 2018, Markiesha graduated with her MSW-Clinical in 2019 with a 3.9 Cumulative GPA. In addition to working as a Program Manager, Markiesha works part-time as a clinical therapist to treat individual’s who are suffering with their mental health. Furthermore, Markiesha was featured in the Michigan Chronicle where she discussed how Covid-19 has impacted students socially and mentally.

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Not only is Markiesha an academic scholar, but she dedicates much of her free time giving back to her community and advocating for underserved populations. Markiesha previously served as Vice President on the Board of Directors for C.H.I.C. Mom (Confident, Heroic, Inspiring, Courageous Moms) a non-profit organization whose mission is to build a sense of community for Moms by providing education, empowerment, and networking opportunities. Markiesha is a true leader and serves on several professional committees within her Job’s Organization. Markiesha is an active member of the DHHS-Wayne County DEI Committee and she recently obtained a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Workplace certificate from the University of South Florida. In addition, Markiesha serves as a member of the statewide Engagement Committee within DHHS. Markiesha is passionate about helping others that she has dedicated her entire career to do so!