FELICIA JOHNSON
Dr. Edward Williams, Jr. Community Service Award

Felicia Johnson is the fourth of five children, and the youngest daughter of the late Rev. Clarence B. Johns, Jr. and Jeanette T. Johns, who is 93 years old. A Long Island native, Felicia graduated from Farmingdale High School and attended Hampton University (formerly Hampton Institute), her parents’ alma mater. A third-generation Hamptonian, she carries on a family legacy that includes her maternal grandparents, sisters, and numerous aunts and uncles.

Inspired by Hampton’s alma mater, “Let Our Lives Do the Singing,” Felicia witnessed her parents’ dedication to community service during a period of racial integration. They actively participated in PTA and community meetings — often as the only people of color — addressing the challenges of race riots in schools. These experiences deeply influenced her, fostering a desire to effect positive change.

In college, Felicia pursued sociology and social work with a focus on criminal justice, initially intending to attend law school. However, her work in geriatric social work captivated her. She worked as a geriatric social worker and discharge planner at several skilled nursing facilities on the Rockaway Peninsula.

In 1986, Felicia moved to the Rockaway Peninsula, where she has resided and worked as a social worker for 39 years. Seeking to emulate her parents’ commitment to community, she volunteered with various organizations, beginning with the Rev. Thomas Mason Community Center, a “Safe Streets, Safe Kids” initiative. She became the center’s first community advisory board president which led to appointments to Community Board 14 and the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation (RDRC).

At RDRC, she held several leadership positions, including board member, secretary, vice president, and president, becoming the first African American female board president. Her responsibilities included assisting the executive director with fundraising, managing a $1 million budget, and collaborating with government agencies.

For more than 25 years, Felicia served on Community Board 14, chairing the Youth Services and Education, Land Use, and Health and Social Services committees. She also served as the first vice chair. Her work on the Health and Social Services committee led to her appointment as chair of the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH) Community Advisory Committee, a role she held throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, she served as an NYPD community partner for the 100th and 101st precincts, was a past president of the 101st Precinct Community Council, and participated on advisory committees for local shelters and the Rockaway Trauma Center. Felicia is also a member of the Kiwanis of The Rockaways, an international service organization dedicated to serving children. The Rockaway branch specifically provides scholarships to teach children how to swim, addressing the high number of drownings and fatalities that occur each summer on Rockaway beaches.

Prior to becoming District Manager of Community Board 14 — a position she was unanimously elected to in January 2024 and began on March 4, 2024 — Felicia was enrolled in the LNHA certificate program at St. Joseph College. She considers her role as district manager a dream come true, allowing her to serve as a “social worker, ombudsman, and advocate” for the Rockaway Peninsula.

A devout Christian, Felicia is a member of Zion Cathedral Church of God of Christ in Freeport, Long Island, where she graduated from the Mason Kelly Washington White Religious Training Institute, completing coursework for her master’s degree. She also serves with the Hospitality Ministry.

Embracing the saying, “To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48), Felicia views her work as a continuation of her lifelong commitment to serving others.