Biography of Charles E. Johnson

Acting Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Charles E. Johnson was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate as Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology, and Finance at the Department of Health and Human Services in 2005. He previously served in an appointed position as Chief Financial Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Johnson became Acting Secretary of HHS at noon on January 20, 2009, and he will remain in that role until the next Secretary is confirmed by the Senate and sworn in.

Mr. Johnson was President of Huntsman Cancer Foundation and Vice President of Huntsman LLC from 2001 to 2004. From 1997 to 2004, he also served as a member of the Utah State Board of Regents, which oversees all public institutions of higher education in the state of Utah. He served as Chair of the Board of Regents from December 1997 through May 2002.

Prior to joining Huntsman, Mr. Johnson served as Vice Chairman of the Board for Strategic Direction with the Garff-Warner Organization from 1997 to 2001. He served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of the state of Utah from 1992 to 1997. Mr. Johnson also served as Director of the 2000 re-election campaign for Governor Michael O. Leavitt.

Mr. Johnson spent thirty-one years in the practice of public accounting, including service on the Board of Directors of KPMG and as Chairman of its Merger Transition Committee. He retired from KPMG in 1991.

Mr. Johnson has been a member of other various committees and organizations within the state of Utah. In 1995, as Vice President of the Utah Association of Certified Public, Mr. Johnson received the outstanding CPA award. In 1985, Mr. Johnson received the outstanding alumnus award from Brigham Young University School of Accountancy.

Mr. Johnson graduated with honors from Brigham Young University in 1960 with a B.S. degree in accounting. He began his public accounting career in California where he was with another international accounting firm in Los Angeles.

Mr. Johnson is married to the former Susanna Brown. They have six grown children.