Drawing upon over 30 years of professional experience, Pamella Rena Renée Johnson has exemplified expertise in the fields of banking and academia. After enjoying a 25-year tenure in the banking industry, where she specialized in corporate accounts, she decided to pivot her career path toward education following the bankruptcy of the bank with which she worked. In 2011, she received a bachelor’s degree in history, with a minor in elementary education, from the University of Washington. She also received accreditation as a certified paraprofessional.
Since 2016, Ms. Johnson has excelled as an academic and behavioral intervention specialist with Rochester High School in the state of Washington. Outside of her primary career endeavors, she was appointed as the chairperson of the Paraeducator Board of the State of Washington by Governor Jay Inslee. Additionally, she is a member of the Professional Education Standards Board and a board member of Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WESN). Furthermore, Ms. Johnson maintains affiliation with the Washington Education Association and National Education Association, among other organizations.
Attributing much of her success to her diligent work ethic, which has allowed her to excel in all her pursuits, Ms. Johnson is equally grateful for the support and encouragement of her family, peers and mentors. She says that she came of age under the tutelage of her mother and father, who both grew up in the Southern United States and instilled in her a love for education and a passion for cultivating positive change. Among the many highlights of her career, she is especially proud to have joined a union of paraprofessionals and certified teachers to advocate for filling the wage gap among education professionals. To this end, her advocacy helped the Washington Education Committee to form the Paraeducator Certificate Program, which provides standards-based training and career advancement opportunities for paraeducators and prospective teaching professionals.
In light of her outstanding feats, Ms. Johnson has received numerous accolades. Recently named Education Support Professional of the Year by the Washington Education Association in 2022 and 2023, she was also named Inspiring Educator of the Year by the Washington Education Association Black Caucus in 2021. Additionally, she received the Leadership Award for Educational Support in 2022 and 2023. In the coming years, Ms. Johnson intends to continue creating favorable changes in the field of education.
