Title: Business Specialist
Company: Department of Homeland Security
Location: VA/USA
Education: MS in Information Management, University of Arkansas Grantham (2013); BS in Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Arkansas Grantham (2010); Pursuing Doctorate DSL
Career History: Business Specialist, Department of Homeland Security (2024-Present); Financial Management Analyst, U.S. Navy (2017-2024); Program and Management Analyst, Manpower, Department of the Navy, Naval District Washington (2015-2019); Program and Management Analyst, Human Resources and Fiscal Services, Veteran’s Health Administration, DC Veterans Administration Medical Center (2013-2015); Medical Administrative Specialist, Human Resources, Veteran’s Health Administration, Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital (2013); Senior Management Analyst, Spartan Business and Technology (2012-2013)
Tony W. Johnson Jr., Business Specialist at the Department of Homeland Security, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of business.
Mr. Johnson has overcome numerous obstacles in his life on the path toward professional success. A high school dropout, he struggled with drug addiction at a young age and was a member of a street gang in Chicago. He joined the U.S. Army in 1984 and served for 28 years, climbing the rank to Master Sergeant and active throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Outside of his military service, the birth of his son in 1993 inspired him to turn his life around as he wanted to set a good example. However, even after retiring from the Army, he became homeless for two years; he ultimately “got things back in order” in 2013 when he was offered a contract position by the Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Business and Technology.
Subsequently, Mr. Johnson became a medical administrative specialist at Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital in 2013, which was followed by a role as the program and management analyst for human resources and fiscal services at DC Veterans Administration Medical Center. His wife, Leanne, then urged him to go further and introduced him to the financial management side, after which he enrolled in classes that helped him better understand the subject. He was active as a financial management analyst with the U.S. Navy from 2017 to 2024 and has been a business specialist with the Department of Homeland Security ever since. In this role, he’s responsible for the Contracting Officer’s Representative duties and administering funding to support actions for Customs Border Patrol contracts.
In addition, Mr. Johnson has served on the board of the Bailey Scholarship Foundation, volunteered at food drives, and mentored youth. Amid his struggles, he was inspired by his son’s high school graduation to continue his own education, culminating in the earning of his GED, and then a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies and a master’s in information management from the University of Arkansas Grantham. Now, looking ahead, he plans on obtaining a doctorate within the next two years and returning to the federal government as a consultant. He aspires to have a multimillion-dollar contract to teach executive strategic leadership to higher-ups in the federal service.