NCIA is pleased to announce the promotions of Karen Johnson to Chief Program Officer and Sophia Lawson to Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, effective August 1, 2026.
These appointments reflect NCIA’s continued commitment to strengthening organizational leadership, improving alignment across the enterprise, and positioning the organization for sustainable growth.
In her new role as Chief Program Officer, Karen will provide executive leadership across NCIA’s program portfolio. She will focus on strengthening program performance, maximizing service utilization, expanding access to opportunities, and ensuring that service delivery operations remain closely aligned with NCIA’s strategic objectives. Karen currently serves as Vice President of Adult and Education Services and has demonstrated a deep commitment to NCIA’s mission, the people we support, and the teams responsible for delivering high-quality services.
As Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Sophia will lead the integration of organizational strategy, growth initiatives, partnerships, and performance management. This expanded role recognizes the importance of bringing these interconnected areas under a single executive leader to strengthen coordination, organizational efficiency, and long-term impact. Sophia currently serves as Vice President of Quality and Compliance and has played a critical role in advancing accountability, continuous improvement, and organizational excellence across NCIA.
“Karen and Sophia are proven leaders who understand both the complexity of our work and the tremendous opportunities ahead of us,” said Ron George, CEO of NCIA. “These promotions strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional programs, pursue thoughtful growth, and ensure that our people, resources, and strategy remain aligned with our mission. I am confident that their leadership will help NCIA expand its impact while building an even stronger and more sustainable organization.”
Please join me in congratulating Karen and Sophia on their well-deserved promotions and supporting them as they transition into their new roles.
Ron George
President & CEO
NCIA
