Maria Johnson-Cicala

Maria Johnson-Cicala is an experienced consultant with a demonstrated history in diversity training design and delivery with Cicala & Associates, a Human Resources Consultancy based in Jacksonville, Florida specializing in organizational analysis and program design for government, law enforcement agencies and private organizations. Johnson-Cicala's clients have included the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and The Library of Congress to name a few. She currently serves on the New York City Police Department Equity Advisory Board. 

Johnson-Cicala was Fannie Mae’s first Vice President for Diversity and Work-Life Initiatives. During her twelve-year tenure, she led one of the top award-winning diversity programs in corporate America. She was responsible for designing a national recruiting program to fill complex and difficult to recruit for positions; substantially increased contracting with minority and women owned business and created programs to enhance the work/life experiences of all employees at all levels of the organization such as mentoring programs, daycare, eldercare and wellness programs. Johnson-Cicala revamped the human resources call center processes and procedures to improve service delivery and morale. She designed a cutting-edge corporate justice system, which was a unique internal employee grievance and Ombudsman system designed for the non-union workplace. 

Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Johnson-Cicala was the Presidentially appointed/Senate confirmed (PAS) Vice Chair of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection board, a federal labor adjudicatory agency. She was next appointed by Mayor Kelly to design and serve as the first Chief Administrative Judge for the District of Columbia’s Office of Employee Appeals Temporary Appeals Panel, an agency formed exclusively to hear employee appeals resulting from the first major downsizing for Washington, D.C. city government. 

Johnson-Cicala was a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 15 years.  

Johnson is a member of the bar for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Johnson was named by the Network Journal as one of the “25 Influential Black Women in Business”. 

Johnson received her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree from Howard University. She also attended Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island where she was certified as a Navy Judge Advocate.