Johnna Blackhair

Johnna began her federal career in 1991 in the Land Conservation Office at the Uintah and Ouray Agency in Fort Duchesne, Utah, where she conducted various real estate transactions, natural resource, and conservation functions. She served as the Realty Officer in 2002 at the agency and became the Southwest Regional Officer in 2010.

Throughout her federal career, she has held a number of field leadership positions and supported national initiatives, including Superintendent positions at Mescalero Agency and Uintah and Ouray Agencies, Eastern Regional Office Regional Director, and Deputy Regional Director. In these positions she also served as the Superintendent at the Seminole Agency in Florida, Syracuse Field Office in New York, Choctaw Agency, Mississippi.

In 2018, she temporarily served as the Acting Associate Deputy Bureau Director from January to April. This provided key experience for her that led to being named Deputy Bureau Director, Trust Services in September 2019. This includes oversight of the Indian Energy Service Center in Lakewood, Colorado. When the Bureau's Office of Indian Services Deputy Bureau Director position was vacated in 2022, Johnna served in an acting capacity from July 2022 – Oct. 2023 lending stability and guidance until a new deputy bureau director could be selected.

As one of four Department of the Interior federal employees appointed to the Congressional Wildland Fire Mitigation & Management Commission, Johnna works with others leaders responsible for making recommendations to improve Federal wildland fire management policies related to the prevention, mitigation, suppression, and management of wildland fires and the rehabilitation of land in the United States devastated by wildland fires. She also serves as the bureau's most senior member on the National Wildland Fire Leadership Council.

Johnna is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Montana. She holds an associate's degree from Northern Montana College and a bachelor’s degree in information systems and business administration from Utah State University. She remains connected with her culture, traditional arts, crafts, and ceremonies and enjoys time in the outdoors with her family.