Over a decade ago Carmen R. Johnson, Philanthropist, Founder & CEO of the Katie Able Foundation, wrote these famous words: "Do something to justify your existence. Together we can create the future.
Philanthropist and Civic Leader, Carmen R. Johnson, is best known throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area as a voice for economic and social empowerment for disadvantaged youth and vulnerable families through her work with the Katie Able Foundation which she founded in 2009. Under her leadership, The Katie Able Foundation has carved out a special niche in helping a diverse group of at-risk populations, including the elderly and youth. To date, The Katie Able Foundation and Johnson has provided mentoring, financial literacy classes and workshops to more than 850 youth and 5,000 adults. The fruit of her labor has helped save homes and even families. Johnson has used some old fashioned techniques taught by her late grandmother to build a nonprofit brand that celebrates financial independence and financial literacy for at-risk populations through her Financial Literacy programs. She is widely recognized as an expert in credit counseling, debt elimination, residential housing counseling and wealth building techniques. As such, she currently is partnering with Prince George’s County Schools to teach her innovative financial literacy mentoring at six schools, including Robert Frost Elementary School in New Carrollton and Duval High School in Lanham, MD where the programs was first introduced.
Johnson has also created a niche in educating youth, seniors and abused women about financial literacy through a wide variety of grassroots programs designed to uplift, empower and destroy the barriers to individual and family prosperity. For Johnson, who is an ultra-successful business owner with an impressive record of building corporate brands and increasing marketing footprints over the past 20 years, financial responsibility and good credit is at the root of community and family success. She is committed to changing the culture of low-income streams and credit unworthiness particularly among minority populations in urban neighborhoods often defined by redlining and exorbitant interest rates. She brings a special passion to her work as a mentor, financial counselor and educator. Johnson is uniquely qualified to teach financial literacy by virtue of her individual success and as one of the few individuals to hold separate professional certifications as a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, Certified Consumer Debt Specialist and Certified Residential Housing Counselor. She also holds a Certificate of Achievement as a Business Finance Consultant.
Through her work at the Foundation named after her late grandmother, Johnson has crafted an enviable and stellar reputation as a tireless advocate for youth and the elderly. Johnson is renown as an excellent clinician and visionary leader who uses cutting edge technology to navigate through the stormy roads of legal entanglements that often stymie progress in community-based programs. She has a proven track record as a leader “who gets it done” by building bridges with community coalitions who often provide resources and support to implement powerful programs that can be used as mechanisms for change for those who are often overlooked and neglected by wider society. A widely sought after speaker and workshop clinician, Johnson has provided direction and consulting for a wide variety of public schools, community organizations and corporate entities. Indicative of the high esteem to which she is held, Johnson was recently named by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker’s Transition Team for Education. She also served as the Committee for Education for the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce. Johnson also is the Youth Advisor for the NAACP Youth Board. Johnson provides regular Financial Tips on the Parent Talk Radio Show sponsored by Forest of Rain Productions.
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