Lorraine Griffin Johnson

Principal, LGJ & Associates and CEO, Griffin Enterprises

Speaker Bio:

Lorraine Griffin Johnson graduated from Gilmer High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education Degree with emphasis In Social Rehabilitation from Stephen F. Austin University. She was one of the first seven graduates and first African American to graduate from a Texas School with an Orientation and Mobility Certification. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas and a Mini MBA from the University of St. Thomas in 2015. She is SPHR and SHRM-SCP certified.

Upon graduation, Lorraine worked in the Public Sector for 10 years as the first woman and African American in a number of positions in both state and local government in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. She later expanded her career into Human Resources for 30 years and was the first African American and woman in multiple Global Executive Leadership roles with Sprint Corporation, The Pillsbury Company, US Bank, Cummins, FMC, and BASF Chemicals and CentraCare Health. Lorraine also served the Twin Cities Society for Human Resources Professionals as Vice President and was on the Board of the Twin Cities Executive Forum for Human Resources

Lorraine has been recognized for her services on community boards and commissions and honored by many organizations including: Tyler Junior College as Alumni of the Year – 1979; Tyler’s “Women on the Go”; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s Leadership Award; Leadership Kansas 1985; US Sprint CEO Award;  EAF Emerald and Green Diamond Awards for the Lorraine Griffin Johnson Endowed Fund 2018 and 2020; Deb McCarl Award at CentraCare Health 2019; and Voices Magazine Leadership Award in 2020. 

Lorraine was married to the love of her life, the late Willie Johnson, Jr. until his journey to Heaven in 2012. She continues her journey of Service to All Mankind and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and serves as Chair of Human Resources. 

Session Description:

As young women, we may often see things that we know are wrong and bother our conscious.  We may not say anything because we are not sure how it will impact us. Be assured, that everyday that you allow something that you could have done something about and did not do anything, you are impacted.  If you worry about it for one minute you are impacted.

Get comfortable with your conscious, look yourself in the mirror. What do you want to say to yourself 20 years from now?  I only took care of me or did I open the door for others, did I change the culture so that the atmosphere benefited someone else, every generation of women has to fight for freedom Corretta Scott King stated “ Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation”.

This week I attended the International Convention of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated attended by 25,000 college educated women virtually and in person and issues at the forefront of our inception in 1908 were women’s rights.

Voting, pay equity, housing and here almost at the celebration of our 115^th Anniversary, I stand before you and say that those issues have been fought for and won and we must continue to fight for and win again and again. Today, we continue the journey to challenge the nation on pay equity and women’s rights until we don’t have to do it anymore…. It is the only way we can stand tall as we mature as experienced women to know that we have contributed to making it better for someone else…leaving the door open…

“If we stand up for one woman, we have possibly stood up for all women” – Maya Angelou