She’s also the first-ever woman!
FBI Director Christopher Wray has named Ashley T. Johnson the lead special agent in charge of the St. Louis FBI Field Office, Black Enterprise reports. This is a historic appointment, and Johnson now makes history as the first woman and the first Black woman ever to hold the title.
Johnson holds a bachelor’s in criminal justice and a master’s in sociology, getting her start as a probation officer and psychiatric social worker. She joined the FBI in 2007 with the New Orleans division, investigating civil rights violations and white-collar crimes impacting the city. She was eventually promoted to supervisory special agent in the cyber division, overseeing cyber investigation across five field offices.
In 2013, Johnson headed to Atlanta, making a name for herself in the state. Under the Atlanta division, Johnson worked on law enforcement corruption and civil rights issues, leading the domestic terrorism squad and developing a team specifically for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the world, overseeing criminal, terrorism, cyber, and counterintelligence investigations in the state of Georgia.
Johnson was then promoted to assistant special agent in charge of Atlanta’s criminal branch. There, she founded the Atlanta Development and Leadership Council, creating pipelines in the city for those interested in similar careers through mentorship, leadership development, and training opportunities.
She joined the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 2020 and was previously named section chief of the International Operations Division before being appointed in her most recent role.
Cover photo: Ashley T. Johnson Makes History as First Black Woman to Lead St. Louis FBI Field Office/Photo credit: Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio