Deputy Director, Illinois State Charter School Commission

Shenita Johnson is currently the Deputy Director of the Illinois State Charter School Commission. She has worked in the public and private sector with diverse groups and various constituency levels for more than ten years and is an effective consensus builder and a manager of group and interpersonal dynamics.

Shenita is a licensed attorney and previously practiced as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the second largest prosecutor’s office in the country.

Prior to law school, Shenita worked with NACSA, managing the high-profile charter authorization work in Detroit and New Orleans, post-Katrina. She also worked for the Chicago Public Schools in the New Schools Development Department, where she coordinated recruitment of high-quality school operators, guided and supported applicants, and conducted community outreach. She also played a pivotal role in the launch and implementation of Renaissance 2010, Chicago’s initiative to close low-performing schools and re-open 100 high-quality, high-performing public school options.

Shenita holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University, a M.A. in Public Administration from Baruch College in New York, and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of law.