Program Director

Hi! I'm Charis Johnson. I began working at OFS Mill Valley in 2023 as the Admin Co-Director before moving up to Program Director in the fall of 2024. I grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Mills College with a BA in Ancient History and minor in Child Development in 2009.

I have worked with children in various settings since 2002. Summer camps and youth sports was my first job throughout high school. In college and after, I invested my time in multiple youth centered care including volunteering in local elementary schools, 10 years in a drop-off care for 8-weeks to 6-year-olds, 11 years between leading summer camps and heading inclusion programs for special needs children. I was chosen to spearhead a new early literacy program for Berkeley toddlers and parents by the National YMCA in 2012 and afterwards, I was an Afterschool Program Director for a local charter school.

In 2016, I transitioned to work solely in the special needs community as a Applied Behavior Analyst Technician and Behavior Intervention Specialist. I had a desire to work one-on-one with students and be able to show tangible, observable and impactful growth. I worked with 8 students from 2 years-teenage with an emphasis on communicative and independence skills, naturalistic teaching and critical thinking/sociability through play. Similarly to OFS’s foundations of continuity of care, I fostered a special attachment and improvement with one child that I had my whole career as they aged from 6 to 13.

I am excited to join Old Firehouse School and feel particularly inspired by their attention to and application of attachment theory. OFS focus on diverse student perspectives and collaboration speak to my natural propensity to seek out new people, worlds, opinions as well as to look for and create harmony. Outside of the office, I enjoy reading, DIY crafts and everything about babies so bring on the funny/cute/crazy stories!