Tiffany J. Johnson

Hampton, VA  23664 / tiffany.johnson3870@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE:  Legal Administration, Bookkeeping, Paralegal, Payroll

CAREER SUMMARY

• 20+ years, US Navy, Legal Department Supervisor (E7/LNC), Hon. Dis.: 08/25
• 10 years, Legal Assistant
• 7 years, Paralegal
• 6 years, Payroll Administration 
• 2 years, Bookkeeping Administration
• Security Clearance: DoD, Secret (last adjudicated: 04/24, expires: 04/34)

06/24 – present, Volunteer Treasurer

Kilgore Gifted Center, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Hampton, VA

• Maintain membership funds, expenses, and paid dues to the state and city PTA organizational levels

03/21 – 08/25, Legal Department Supervisor, Legalman Chief (E7/LNC)

US Navy, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA

Organizational Management, Subject Matter Expert (Legal Procedures & Processes)

• Managed over 1,300 legal proceedings, including nonjudicial punishments (e.g., Art 15, NJP, Captain’s Mast), appeals, separations, court-martials, investigations, and promulgated ~300+ notary signatures (notary signature and Power of Attorneys)
• Mentored sailors (naval personnel), including transitioning between E6 and E7 for new responsibilities
• Quality assured and ensured naval personnel were trained and mentored to tasks, responsibilities, and rate-mandated skill sets; managed and monitored training, documentation, paperwork processes, and established milestones for promotional opportunities
• Researched, analyzed, identified redundancies and duplicative submissions for elimination, and implemented new protocol, resulting in workflow turnaround time decreased by 35% (from 4-5 weeks, down to 2-3 weeks, on average)

Contract Management & Financial Management

• Implemented documentation, records, and files for $40K in managed funds in the treasurer position, including establishing an audit committee for the CPO (E7-E9) Association (127 members)
• Developed, managed, and monitored spreadsheet reports, tracking of expenditures, and contractual obligations for merchandise (e.g., souvenirs), vendors, and events (e.g., banquets) for accounts payable
• Managed CPO Mess budget, as well as monitored fundraising and expenses for Aug/Sept 2025

Human Asset Management, Training and Development

• Led and managed a seven-person legal team providing comprehensive legal support services to a 2,500-person organization (aircraft carrier), to provide legal services to the ship’s crew
• Mentor and train sailors for job duties, required/mandated skill sets, and promotional opportunities, including quarterly training in legal topics and providing Subject Matter Expert (SME) career advice; chaired Conversion Boards

03/17 – 03/21, Legal Assistant, Flag/Force Paralegal, Legalman Chief (E7-LNC)

US Navy, Carrier Strike Group 2 & Commander Submarine Force Atlantic, Norfolk, VA

Organizational Management, Subject Matter Expert (Legal Procedures & Processes)

• Reviewed and quality assured military justice correspondence from subordinate commands for accuracy, legal requirements, and regulatory mandates; ensured rules and instructions were followed for applications (e.g., administrative separations, nonjudicial punishment appeals, investigations); drafted final action(s) and  briefed 1-star and 3-star Admirals for signature(s)
• Liaised between 56 subordinate commands (e.g., squadrons, submarines, destroyers, cruisers, and the aircraft carrier providing SME advice and counsel in coordination with Judge Advocate General (JAG) for providing guidance to the Admiral for nonjudicial punishment and/or Administrative Separation (ADSEP), delivering customized and targeted legal assistance or support
• Provided legal support via notary, Power of Attorney, and nonjudicial punishment
• Researched, analyzed, developed, and wrote legal correspondence for executive review and approval for high-visibility investigations (collisions, deaths, post-news exposure)
• Conducted comprehensive briefings to senior leadership related to administrative processes and regulatory reporting requirements within lawful authority, resulting in the Admiral taking final action as approval authority
• Reviewed and processed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, identifying and applying legally acceptable exemptions and redactions; redacted and applied appropriate FOIA exemptions with 100% compliance with federal guidelines, as representative Initial Denial Authority 
• Researched, analyzed, identified redundancies and duplicative submissions for elimination, and implemented new protocol, resulting in increased quality of record retention, relocation of records, improved filing process, faster access to files and documentation for transparency for status and completion, with workflow turnaround time decreased by 35%

Project Management & Subject Matter Expert (SME) Advising

• Researched, analyzed, and compiled legal and disciplinary action data to report trending ‘destructive behavior’ across the command and created comparison tools in a pivot spreadsheet table, resulting in the identification of training and realignment of command focus relative to paygrade, age, or behavior for resolution and improvements via counseling and training

08/08 – 03/17, Senior Paralegal, Legalman (E6/LN1)

US Navy, Naval Region Legal Service Office, Naval Base New London, Groton, CT

• Managed case files for five JAGs (attorneys), conducting court reporting/transcription, witness preparation, drafting motions and subpoenas, and serving as government rep for Administrative Separation Boards
• Coordinate and facilitate attorney prep work for trial, including the above-noted tasks for court actions within the 120-speedy trial clock mandate (minus authorized legal delays); facilitated travel accommodations
• Coordinated with up to three attorneys to draft motions and subpoenas 
• Transcribed trial testimony for trials and board proceedings (1X per quarter; ~15 pages; ~16 hours court reporting) monthly
• Conduct legal research to identify relevant case law utilizing Lexis/Nexis

06/06 – 08/08, Personnel Specialist (E5/PS2)

US Navy, Personnel Support Detachment, NAS, Patuxent River, MD

• Processed pay entitlements, changes, audited, calculated final payments (reenlistment, separation), travel claim, and advances as a customer service provider
• Process claims, entitlements (all actions processed timely with less than 2% processing rejection)
• Directed and mentored a four-person specialized team processing personnel and payment documentation for assigned Commands (six; with ~600 sailors), including personal pay entitlements
• Mentored and trained sailors to manually calculate pay overages and shortages, and how to time payroll for debt collection to avoid overdrafts; liaised with sailors to create and implement payment plans for calculation of debt repayments (e.g., housing allowance overpayments, delays in gain, planning to reduce hardship in payroll changes)
• Analyzed payroll discrepancies and implemented resolutions and corrective measures (e.g., investigating and identifying misallocated housing, family separation funds for non-compliant entitlements) that led to the recovery of ~6K in misallocated funds
• Created a plan for file retention/destruction (two years) to maintain personnel records with 100% compliance
• Provided informal mentoring/training for advancement and situational training

08/02 – 05/06, Financial Administrator, Disbursing Clerk (E5/DK2)

US Navy, USS George Washington (CVN 73), Norfolk Naval Station, Norfolk, VA

• Reviewed and processed personnel pay records and entitlements as a payroll clerk
• Audited Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
• Reported the ship’s financial expense to the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) as Fiscal Clerk 
• Cashed personnel checks, maintained ATM finances, tracked and reported the ship’s expenses
• Prepared department for annual inspection for record retention (every two years)
• Maintained comprehensive financial records, including processing the report of the ship’s expenses and income from sailor purchases, and reported it to DFAS (monthly)
• Cut check(s) to pay for services provided to ship while in foreign ports
• Collected cash from service departments and provided documentation of receipt of cash expenditures to federal accounting services with “0” negative audit findings
• Achieved and sustained 100% accountability for allocated cash assets (e.g., blank treasurer checks and >$1M in US currency; cashed/processed negotiable instruments from sailors who cashed checks)
• Negotiated and processed payments to international vendors, ensuring compliance with federal financial regulations per international vendor-provided invoices using DMO software (2004-2008)

FORMAL EDUCATION

2014, Master of Business Administration, Accounting, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ; GPA: 3.8; Courses: Financial Auditing, Internal Auditing, Managerial Finance, Managerial Accounting, Finance Principles, Accounting Practices

2010, Bachelor of Science, Paralegal Studies, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; GPA: 3.9; Courses: Legal Research & Writing, Law Of Contracts, Law In Contemporary Society, Litigation, Legal Ethics 

2007, Associate of Arts, Business Administration, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, FL; GPA: 3.07

CERTIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL & COMPUTER SKILLS

• 2017, Certification, Computer Operations, U.S. Military Apprenticeship Program, Pensacola, FL

• 2011, Certification, Legal Secretary Professional, U.S. Military Apprenticeship Program, Pensacola, FL

• 2022, Senior Leadership Development, Senior Enlisted Academy, Newport, RI
• 2025, Certification, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, The Council for Six Sigma, New York, NY
• 2025, Bookkeeping Professional, Intuit Academy, San Diego, CA
• Adobe Pro (redactions, Privacy Act & FOIA markings, form editor/creator)
• Lexis/Nexis
• MS O365: Word, Excel (Pivot Tables), PowerPoint, Outlook
• Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows, Cloud-Based Computing Platforms
• QuickBooks (basics)
• SharePoint
• SIPRnet
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnsontiffanyj