Ms. Shaunta Johnson currently serves as the Office of Grants, Director for the Division of Workforce Development (DWD). DWD was established in 2019 to develop grant professionals training strategies within the Department; create training curriculum and certification programs for the Department’s grant management officials; and provide performance assessments Department-wide to improve grant workforce performance. Shaunta is responsible for managing a team of experienced grants and program management professionals who will collaborate to develop robust training courses for all stakeholders involved in the grant-making, awarding, and administration process. The mandatory training and certification programs made available through GMTA will promote common core competencies and transferable skills, key to developing an advanced workforce. The DWD is creating these programs to complement existing trainings available at the awarding agencies level.Prior to joining the Office of Grants in 2019, Shaunta started HHS in 2012 as the Deputy Director for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). As the operations lead, she successfully collaborated with program and procurement decision makers to create small business prime contracting opportunities. She also supported the former Office of Grants and Acquisition, Policy and Accountability as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Assistant Secretary from 2016-2019. Shaunta received her bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a master’s certificate in Organizational Leadership from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She’s also a graduate of the USDA Women’s Executive Leadership program.