Join us in congratulating Elizabeth!

Dear John,

The Opportunity Agenda (TOA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Johnsen as Vice President of Program Strategy and Impact. Elizabeth started her new role Sept. 30, following an extensive national search led by Good Insight.

Over the past 11 years, Elizabeth has been an integral and visionary member of the TOA team. With extensive experience in communications, team management, and program development, in addition to her dedication to social justice issues, Elizabeth has been key in advancing the organization’s mission to build and champion transformative narratives for change.

The Opportunity Agenda is excited to continue working with Elizabeth in her new capacity as Vice President, where she will bring her talent for strategic program planning, narrative development, and team building – alongside her deeply respected leadership – to the forefront of the organization’s work.

“Elizabeth’s unwavering commitment to social justice, combined with her extensive experience in editorial, communications, and program strategy, make her the ideal leader for our team,” said Robin Jenkins, Interim President. “The staff greatly values her positivity, emotional intelligence, collaborative spirit, institutional knowledge, and integrity. We are excited to see her shape and elevate our work in the years to come.”

A former journalist, Elizabeth transitioned to the social justice field in 2010. Before this career change, she lived in Riga, Latvia, where she was a reporter for and editor-in-chief of The Baltic Times. Many of her stories focused on social justice and human rights issues in the Baltic states and Russia. She has contributed to international news organizations such as Transitions Online, Forbes, and the BBC. Her non-profit experience includes working for Freedom House, where she helped edit the annual Nations in Transit report, and as a data researcher for ClearHealthCosts, a New York-based startup that advances equal opportunity in health care. She is a personal advocate for domestic workers’ rights and disability rights, having written about and spoken publicly on the issues for more than 10 years. 

Elizabeth received her Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, focusing on migration and human rights in post-Soviet states, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Scandinavian Studies from the University of Washington.

About The Opportunity Agenda

Founded in 2006, The Opportunity Agenda (TOA) provides expertise, resources, and collaborative spaces for advocates, communicators, and creators throughout the social justice sector to create narratives that support equity, justice, opportunity, inclusion, and belonging.

Through trainings, fellowships, communities of practice and more, TOA builds the public imagination and cultural will to challenge white supremacy and its pervasive impact, works in community to overcome opposition narratives that exclude and divide us, and advances narratives that support opportunity for all. Learn more at: www.opportunityagenda.org.

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