Charles Johnson serves as the chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO) for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). As CFO, he oversees the agency’s budget development as well as financial analysis and operations. As COO, he oversees the Office of Inspector General, including the Licensing Division, the Compliance Office, Information Technology/Enterprise Architecture, communications and public affairs. Johnson has served as CFO since June 2010 and as COO since January 2012.
In his previous position of assistant commissioner for Children and Family Services, Johnson was responsible for programs and policies that promote economic stability, child safety and permanency, opportunities for children to develop to their potential, and successful transitions for immigrant families. As a division director in that area, he led the state’s nationally recognized welfare reform efforts. He has been involved in the development of Minnesota’s primary welfare reform effort, the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), since its inception.

Johnson has been with DHS for 22 years, and has spent most of his 27 years in state government working on policies and programs that support low-income families and children. He holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.