Biography
Judy Johnson lives in Plymouth and represents District 1, consisting of the Hennepin County cities of Corcoran, Dayton, Greenfield, Independence, Loretto, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Medicine Lake, Medina, Plymouth, and Rogers.
Johnson is a former mayor and council member of the City of Plymouth, serving more than 20 years in elected office. She has been a board member and president of the League of Minnesota Cities, earning the league’s highest award for elected officials in 2015. She is also a former board member of Metro Cities and the Municipal Legislative Commission, and a former member of the Regional Council of Mayors.
Johnson is membership services director for the Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce, where she is in charge of member relations, new member outreach, business celebrations/ribbon-cuttings, and membership programming. Prior to this, she served at the director of business services for the 50th & France Business Association.
She formerly worked as the project director for Prosperity’s Front Door, a network of business, government, and nonprofit leaders from across Minnesota that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of affordable and workforce housing. The project focuses on the Minnesota’s Housing Task Force recommendations to increase an affordable and diverse mix of homes in all communities for greater and shared economic prosperity for all. Prosperity’s Front Door is sponsored by Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, Family Housing Fund, and the McKnight Foundation, in partnership with Minnesota Housing and with support from the Funders for Housing and Opportunity.
Johnson formerly served as the senior director of investor relations at GREATER MSP, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, where she was responsible for planning and executing annual fundraising initiatives including investor recruitment, retention, and engagement strategies. She also has served as the director of government affairs and director of community relations for the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s an exciting time as we come together to take on opportunities and tackle our biggest problems, ensuring an inclusive economy where everyone gets a seat at the table. I believe in the benefits of a strong region and state. The sum of our diverse parts makes us better, stronger, and more likely to succeed in whatever we do.”
Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree from the Metropolitan State University with an emphasis on communications and public relations. Johnson is mother to four adult children and two grandchildren.