Tia Johnson

I attribute my success to perseverance, curiosity, and a determination to create a better life for my children. Leaving a long-term, deeply difficult and unsafe relationship situation required me to rebuild nearly every part of our lives while continuing my education and advancing my career.

That experience did not define me, but it clarified my purpose. I wanted to show my children that no matter what life throws at you, you can keep moving forward and still achieve your goals. Every degree earned, challenge overcome, and leadership opportunity pursued has been part of building a life grounded in safety, stability, possibility, and demonstrating that difficult circumstances never have to determine your future.

The best career advice I have received is to listen first and meet people where they are. Effective leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about understanding people’s experiences, priorities, and challenges before trying to create change. Whether I am working with frontline healthcare staff, organizational leaders, or multidisciplinary teams, listening helps me build trust and develop solutions that are both practical and sustainable.

Do not be afraid to think outside the box or challenge the status quo. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and meaningful progress often begins when someone is willing to ask why things are done a certain way, and whether there is a better approach. Stay curious, trust your expertise, and speak up even when you are the youngest or least experienced person in the room. Your perspective has value, and thoughtful questions can become the catalyst for lasting change.

One of the greatest challenges in healthcare is that water quality remains an underrecognized component of patient safety. Aging infrastructure, increasingly complex medical devices, evolving standards, and limited visibility into water-system performance can create risks that cross traditional departmental boundaries. At the same time, this presents an important opportunity to connect clinical expertise, engineering, microbiology, and real-time data. By breaking down silos and treating water quality as a shared clinical and operational responsibility, healthcare organizations can move from reacting to problems toward preventing them.

Kindness, empathy, and self-care are among the values most important to me. I believe people do their best when they feel heard, respected, and supported, both professionally and personally. Empathy helps me understand perspectives beyond my own, while kindness shapes how I lead and respond to others, even during difficult conversations. I have also learned that self-care is not selfish; it is necessary to remain present, resilient, and capable of caring for and leading others.