The Vermont Secretary of Administration has one of the most important and powerful jobs in the state, responsible for the largest departments of government, controlling all money and the budget. Essentially the state’s Chief Operating Officer, the Secretary of Administration chairs the governor’s cabinet and helps craft the budget. Justin Johnson was appointed to the position by Governor Peter Shumlin in January 2015. Johnson already had experience in government, but it came a world away. Before he came to Vermont, he held federal and municipal jobs in Australia. Johnson explains how he landed in the Green Mountain State.
Justin Johnson’s parents live on a dairy farm about 70 miles from Melbourne, in southeastern Australia.