Audrey Johnson is a native of Chicago, and as a child attending Chicago Public Schools for most of her formal education. Audrey received her Bachelors Degree in History with a Minor in Vocal Performance; she also completed her Masters Degree in Public Administration. Audrey has been involved in community service, community development, and youth programming for over the past 25 years. Audrey's early experiences were rooted in her involvement in the 4-H club and her participation with youth groups in her church. As a 4-Her, Audrey excelled in Leadership, Community Service Projects, and at 17 was chosen as an IFYE (International 4-H Youth Exchange) student. As an IFYE she traveled to Denmark as a US 4-H delegate. Audrey was abroad for 9 weeks and credits her trip to having impacted her optimism and independence.
As an adult Audrey continued with 4-H as a Leader and organized and developed several 4-H clubs in areas where she lived which included: Chicago, Edwardsville, Decatur, and Springfield. In Chicago Audrey worked with the University of Illinois Extension Services as a Community Family Advocate. She was responsible for Bond Elementary School in the Inglewood Community. She was responsible to create community collaborations with other agencies, businesses, and social service companies to provide support and training to the 800 students and families who attended Bond. In this position, Audrey gained national news coverage for a program she developed bridging the gap between the African American community participants and Asian merchants. The program was a relief during a time of tension and frustration as a result of racially charged killings in Chicago and other cities.
Audrey also worked as an Assistant Director for the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Center. She was responsible for all functions of programming such as: after school tutoring program, 12 unit computer lab, Karate classes, developmental training, pool and table tennis championships, community activities and programs, etc. Audrey started working with the center to improve their programs, so that the surrounding schools would be able to refer their students for additional academic tutoring and social activities. The Center was a safe, loving environment that provided a family support system for latchkey youth. Audrey was responsible for ensuring the mission of the organization was fulfilled.
In Edwardsville, Audrey worked at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a Housing Coordinator Intern and she was responsible for opening the Family Resource Center. The Family Resource Center was a place that offered students information on community social services and an after-school program for children who lived on campus. Audrey presented the idea to housing management and they provided her with a building, no staff, and no budget. Audrey worked to get Greek letter organizations to volunteer and recruit some high school honor roll students' service as tutors and mentors for younger students. Audrey also completed a grant proposal with Allstate Insurance Foundation and was funded $10,000 to buy supplies and provide student activities. Also, while serving as Student Body President of the University, Audrey also worked with the Office of Student Affairs to create a retention program for African American males who were only being retained after the first year at 2%. Audrey was responsible for facilitating a 1 credit hour class for 35 African American males. She also was assigned as their mentor and advisor. Audrey problem-solved student issues regarding their financial aid, academic support, social services and campus culture. After the first year of the program, university management was impressed with the 98% retention rate of student enrolled in the program who moved with little difficultly into their sophomore year. Audrey was responsible for tracking student success over time and reporting back to the V.P. of Student Affairs. Audrey was the facilitator and manager of the program, class, and all associated activities for two years up until she graduated with her masters in 2001. Today, the program is still successful and continues to improve the retention rate of graduating African American Males at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.
Audrey started her state service career in Springfield as an Auditor for the Office of the Auditor General; she audited state programs such as Kid Care (i.e. affordable insurance for low-income families, Illinois State Board of Education, and Illinois Teacher Retirement Fund. As an auditor Audrey was a watchdog for state dollars ensuring that agencies used state money for the purpose in which they were designed. Auditing helped Audrey to understand the procedures and policies aspects of running a social service agency and the importance of assessing and managing risk and controls. As a state auditor, Audrey made several recommendations which would allow state agencies to improve the way they created budgets, hiring practices, program implementation, payroll, invoice expenditures, and report outcomes.
Audrey was the Education Coordinator for the Brandon Outreach Education Center under the Springfield Urban League, Inc. in Springfield IL. Audrey spent three years developing a youth after-school program that severed over 150 youth between the ages of 6-19. Audrey managed several funded program activities and their budget. The following is a list of agencies under her management: Teen Reach, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Springfield Junior League, United Way, Gear-Up, State Farm, Illinois Central Food Bank, Springfield Housing Authority and Boys Scouts of America. All together Audrey managed over $250, 000.00 in funding across 10 programs. She was responsible for budgeting, program development, program reporting, community partnerships, community activities, parenting classes, training for staff and volunteers, etc.
To add to Audrey's accomplishments she is a trained vocalist. She is also a playwright, director, and praise dancer choreographer. Audrey has written and produced youth and adult production in Chicago, Decatur and Springfield Il. Audrey is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority where she had participated in community service projects for the March of Dimes, Keeping Streets Clean Program, Snowflake Mentoring Program, Zeta Scholarship, and Showcase Step Competitions.
