Tamlyn L. Johnson

My career path has been shaped by resilience and adaptability. I started in the for-profit arena working in testing and manufacturing, and after 59 years in business, the company I worked for was sold to a European company, which changed the whole dynamic. That created a good time for me to exit, and a colleague from my former workplace presented me with an opportunity in the nonprofit world that just kind of fell into my lap. I wasn't looking for it, but it happened at exactly the right time. I've now been in the nonprofit sector for about 5 years. Throughout my career, it's always been about testing - I worked for a company in Colorado that manufactured test chambers for accelerated life testing, where I served as a managing engineer. Today, I work in the aerospace sector on equipment that will be launched into space, and I hold a top secret clearance, so I can't share everything about what I do. But what I'm most proud of professionally is finishing engineering school while pregnant with my firstborn child. I had my first child during my first year of college, and I pushed through and got my engineering degree from Morgan State University in 1993. I didn't give up when circumstances changed. After that, I worked in my field in Baltimore, Maryland from 1994 until 1997, when I relocated to Colorado to work as a managing engineer. While there, I pursued my MBA at the University of Phoenix Colorado campus, completing it in 1999 with just my son and me living there. Most recently, I earned my PMP, my Project Management Professional certificate, in 2025, which is a coveted certification, and I'm really thrilled that I achieved it on my first try. Beyond my professional work, I've also pursued my passion for image and etiquette consulting. Years ago, I started a mentoring program for my daughter, who ended up being one daughter in a sea of boys because we had four boys in the home. I mentored her and her friends from age 8 until about 16, running mentoring programs and summer camps for young ladies in that age group, exposing them to the arts, Toastmasters meetings, STEM, and everything in between. After my son's unexpected passing in 2022, my focus has shifted. I'm now concentrating on grief coaching other mothers who are walking the same path, and I've authored books, including my most recent, 'Single, Not Sad,' an anthology dispelling the myths that all single women are bitter, broken, or bored. My chapter is really inspiring because even after 21 years of marriage and then divorce, I'm not bitter, I'm not broken, I'm not bored - I still have a full life. The passing of my son changed my interests, and now I'm focusing on healing and bringing other people along on the journey to heal.