Board Member, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Dr. Sylvia Johnson is a Senior executive and Presidential appointee to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board with nearly 20 years of leadership experience spanning federal oversight, public policy, workplace safety, complex investigations, and stakeholder governance. Johnson has a proven track record guiding organizations through operational transformation, regulatory scrutiny, crisis response, and reputational risk management. Expertise includes human capital, government affairs, and strategic stakeholder engagement, with a strong history of bipartisan influence and executive-level decision-making. As a presidential appointee, Johnson Provides governance oversight for national investigations into major industrial chemical incidents and safety failures. Eliminated a historic investigative backlog, strengthened public trust, supported a 400% increase in investigative staffing, modernized investigative operations, accelerated report completion timelines, and engaged regulators, industry leaders, labor organizations, and communities on risk mitigation and safety standards. Prior to joining the CSB, Johnson advised executive leadership of the National Education Association (NEA) on federal...
Dr. Sylvia Johnson is a Senior executive and Presidential appointee to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board with nearly 20 years of leadership experience spanning federal oversight, public policy, workplace safety, complex investigations, and stakeholder governance. Johnson has a proven track record guiding organizations through operational transformation, regulatory scrutiny, crisis response, and reputational risk management. Expertise includes human capital, government affairs, and strategic stakeholder engagement, with a strong history of bipartisan influence and executive-level decision-making.
As a presidential appointee, Johnson Provides governance oversight for national investigations into major industrial chemical incidents and safety failures. Eliminated a historic investigative backlog, strengthened public trust, supported a 400% increase in investigative staffing, modernized investigative operations, accelerated report completion timelines, and engaged regulators, industry leaders, labor organizations, and communities on risk mitigation and safety standards.
Prior to joining the CSB, Johnson advised executive leadership of the National Education Association (NEA) on federal policy and enterprise risk issues impacting more than 3 million members. Influenced legislative outcomes related to healthcare, labor standards, retirement security, and workplace safety, while leading stakeholder engagement and COVID-19 workplace safety response efforts.
Before joining the Led national advocacy strategy on healthcare, workplace safety, trade, and tax policy affecting 1.5 million members for the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, & Agricultural Implement Workers
of America, (UAW). Contributed to passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act and advised leadership on policy, governance, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Johnson initially joined UAW and led workplace hazard and disease investigations, developed occupational risk analytics systems, and advanced enhanced safety protections across manufacturing environments. She has served on several boards including the Board of Trustees at Meharry Medical College; the UAW and General Motors Occupational Health Advisory Board; the UAW and Chrysler Scientific Advisory Committee; and the Board of Editors for the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
She holds certifications in Executive Leadership from the Harvard Business School — Preparing to Be a Corporate Director (2026); Columbia University Executive Education — High Impact Leadership (2024); Columbia University
Executive Education—Developing and Leading High Performing Teams (2023); a Ph.D., Urban Health Services Research from Old Dominion University; M.S., Biomedical Engineering (Industrial Hygiene) from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a B.A., degree in Geography (Mathematics & Physics Minors) from Fayetteville State University.
