Earl S. Johnson

A native of Massachusetts, Earl received a Ph.D in social welfare from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1993. Prior to receiving his Ph.D he earned an A.M. from the University of Chicago in Public Policy and has a B.A. in Political Science from The American University.

Earl's work experience includes being named the Associate Secretary of the Planning and Evaluation Unit for the California Health and Human Services Agency in February 2000. The Assoicate Secretary of Planning and Evaluation is responsible for providing organizational oversight and management of special projects as well as, coordinating evaluation efforts that are critical to the mission of the California Health and Human Services Agency.

Prior to the current appointment he worked as a research associate for the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC). As a researcher, Earl worked throughout the United States investigating issues around poverty, welfare, and social and economic isolation. He performed extensive qualitative research with TANF/AFDC recipients and worked on large national demonstration projects. One such effort was the Parents' Fair Share demonstration. In that study, Earl was the lead researcher on the qualitative portion of the project. In April, 1999 the Russell Sage Foundation published his book called Fathers' Fair Share. Other experiences included being Co-Director of the LA Urban Change Ethnographic Research project, and consultant to the Institue on Poverty Research at eh University of Wisconsin, Madison. The IRP study looked at the effects of child support pass-through provision in PRWORA on low-income men's ability and willingness to meet their financial obligation to their children.

Earl has a great deal of experience in the public policy arena. He worked in the House of Representatives for four years as a professional staff member on the Select Committee on Hunger, researching issues of hunger and poverty in the United States. He also spent two years as the National Scheduler for Alan Cranston for President campaign.

Earl has been married for five years. His passions are tennis, basketball, golf and photography.