Background
Johns, Marie Collins was born on August 19, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
Johns, Marie Collins was born on August 19, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
Johns holds Bachelor of Surgery and Master of Public Administration degrees from Indiana University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Trinity College (now Trinity University).
She was nominated by President Barack Obama on December 17, 2009, and confirmed unanimously by the Senate on June 22, 2010. Johns is a former president and Chief Executive Officer of the telecommunications company Verizon, Washington, District of Columbia She made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic party nomination in the 2006 Washington, District of Columbia Mayoral Race. Johns began her career as a secretary and worked her way up to be President and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon, Washington, District of Columbia, a $700 million telecommunications company.
While at Verizon, Johns created a job-training program that placed over 400 teenagers, many of whom were high school dropouts, in communications jobs.
She also led the efforts of Verizon"s predecessor company, Bell Atlantic, to provide a high-speed internet connection to every public school and public library in Washington, District of Columbia Johns also led the effort to create technology learning centers in each of the city"s eight wards and played a key role in securing $10 million in federal funding to implement a school-to-careers initiative. Johns is a trustee of Howard University and has served as chair of the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, which welcomed its inaugural class of 120 sixth graders August 29, 2005.
Johns is a former chair of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Metropolitan Washington (wwwymcawashdcorg/) and recently co-chaired a $4 million capital campaign for the Metropolitan Washington Girl Scouts Council. She is also an annual participant in the Girl Scouts Camp.
In the 1980s, Johns spearheaded the establishment of the first home in the city for babies born to mothers addicted to crack cocaine.
Johns is a former chair of Leadership Washington and the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a director of many organizations, including the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Economic Club of Washington, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, and the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.
Trustee Howard University. Member Federal City Council. Member senior board stewards Metropolitan African M. E. Church.
Member of Washington Performing Arts Society, Economic Club Washington.
Married Wendell Johns.