Megan Russell Johnson is a Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she works in the foundation’s priority place of Michigan to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities. Russell Johnson provides expertise in all aspects of the grant-making process, including evaluating grant proposals, fostering community connections, developing programming priorities and identifying and nurturing opportunities to affect positive change for children and families within the state.
Russell Johnson has a variety of experiences in the nonprofit and education sectors, including prior roles at the C.S. Mott Foundation, Kellogg Community College and HandsOn Battle Creek. She currently serves as co-chair of the Council of Michigan Foundations P-20 Education Peer Community. In addition, she is the co-author of various peer-reviewed publications related to early learning and education systems. Russell Johnson is also a volunteer coach for youth basketball and Girls on the Run.
Russell Johnson received her bachelor’s degree from Albion College in Albion, Michigan; a master’s degree in public administration, with an emphasis on nonprofit leadership, from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo; and a Ph.D. in education foundations and policy from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her research focused on how networks support access to opportunity for women with young children.