Meet Denise (Lester) Johnson
Title: Program Assistant
Years at NEA: 22 years
On one day in early June, Denise Johnson processed $3,056,149.97 in checks to NEA’s vendors—that includes insurance companies, law firms, marketing firms, the NEA Today printer, and more. A few weeks earlier, she processed $1,939,000.
The amount of money it takes to keep NEA up and running is astounding. Lucky for NEA, its affiliates and members, Denise is outstanding. “I could do it with my eyes closed,” she laughs.
Over her 22 years at NEA, including her current stint in accounts payable, Denise has brought at least two exceptional characteristics to her work.
One, she is extremely attentive to detail. Denise can take a look at a payment request in PeopleSoft and quickly assess whether every small entry is correct before moving it along.
The second thing? “I’m helpful,” she says. “I’m everybody’s go-to girl!” Got a quirky voucher? Or a question about NEA’s payment policies? Or even a payment that needs to be made right now? Denise always goes above and beyond to help her colleagues.
“I enjoy helping people, I always have,” she says.
Fun Facts about Denise
Denise previously worked at a financial investment firm that laid off most of its employees after 9/11. So, looking for a new job, Johnson was scanning Washingtonian’s list of “Top 50 Best Places to Work,” when she found NEA.
Until a few years ago, Denise had no idea that she had family roots at NEA! That’s right, her mother—who passed away when Denise was just 6—worked at NEA, “waaay before I was born,” says Denise. “She was pulling strings in heaven for me!”
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