It’s almost impossible to imagine the Guilford County Family Justice Center without thinking of Center Director Catherine Johnson – however, starting early next month, that’s exactly what county leaders and others will have to do.

Johnson, the only director the Guilford County Family Justice Center has ever known, is leaving her post for the international stage. She has accepted the position of president and CEO of Alliance for HOPE International – a global nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Her last day with Guilford County will be Friday, Sept. 5.

Johnson’s exit comes after more than a decade of building and leading one of the most highly regarded family justice centers in the country. She was hired in 2014 to take what was then an ambitious idea – bringing law enforcement, prosecutors, social service agencies, nonprofits and advocates together under one roof – and turn it into a functioning hub for victims of abuse.

When the Family Justice Center opened its doors in June 2015, Guilford County was only the second county in North Carolina to operate such a center. Since then, the center has become a model that officials across the state and the country have studied, praised and sought to replicate.

In the nine years since its opening, the FJC has served more than 100,000 people. What began as a single site in downtown Greensboro grew into a two-location system when the High Point center opened in 2018.

Both facilities provide coordinated services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and stalking.

Instead of survivors having to navigate multiple agencies across the county, the Justice Center was designed to ensure that they could receive comprehensive help in one place –from filing a police report to seeking a protective order to connecting with counseling and shelter services.

Johnson – with her background in psychology, marriage and family therapy, and with nearly two decades of experience in the field – built the program and its team from scratch. In doing so, she shaped the culture of the Center as one of collaboration, compassion and innovation.

Guilford County officials have repeatedly described it as one of the most successful public safety initiatives the county has ever undertaken.

The Family Justice Center hasn’t gone unnoticed beyond Guilford County: State and national organizations have recognized it for its trauma-informed approach and its ability to marshal diverse agencies toward a shared mission.

 In 2023, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein presented Johnson with a Dogwood Award, given to those who make outstanding contributions to the state. The Triad Business Journal named her an Outstanding Woman in Business. Earlier in her career, she received the Early Career Award from UNC Greensboro’s School of Education and was named Outstanding Practitioner of the Year by the state’s marriage and family therapists association.

The Rhino Times has covered the Family Justice Center extensively over the past decade – often noting how it’s been held up as a model by other counties and by state leaders.

 When the Greensboro facility was officially named the Katie S. Cashion Center in 2024 – in honor of the longtime county commissioner who championed its creation – Johnson credited both Cashion and the Board of Commissioners with sustaining an initiative that demanded vision and long-term commitment.

More recently, the Family Justice Center faced an unexpected disruption when a fire broke out at the Cashion building on July 6 of this year. The blaze caused smoke and HVAC damage that forced the county to shut down the entire facility, displacing not only the Family Justice Center but also several county departments. Within weeks, however, Johnson and her staff had relocated operations to a temporary space in the county courthouse on Eugene Street in downtown Greensboro, ensuring that survivors had continued to have access to services without interruption. That quick recovery reinforced what county leaders have long said – that the Family Justice Center is more than just a building: It’s a mission and a team that adapts when needed to keep residents safe.

Brand new County Manager Victor Isler called Johnson’s departure bittersweet.

“There are no words to fully describe the tremendous impact Catherine has made in Guilford County and beyond on behalf of victims and survivors,” Isler said. “Catherine has grown the Family Justice Center into the powerhouse agency it is today, providing thoughtful and careful leadership at every turn. While we will miss her stewardship within the organization, we know she will continue to fight for those whose voices would be stifled. This opportunity with the Alliance for HOPE International is one that she could not let pass, and we wish her all the best in her new role.”

Johnson herself described the role as both a capstone and a new beginning.

“It has been the greatest honor of my career to serve the residents of Guilford County and to build and lead the Family Justice Center’s extraordinary team and partners in providing safety, support and hope to survivors,” Johnson said. “I have learned so much over the last eleven years and look forward to continuing my advocacy in this transformative leadership opportunity with the Alliance for HOPE International.”

She thanked the county manager.

 “I am incredibly grateful for Victor’s outstanding leadership and for the unwavering support from him and the Guilford County Board of Commissioners that has allowed our Family Justice Center to become a nationally recognized model,” she said. “I am proud of all we have accomplished together, including the agency’s 10th anniversary celebration this year. I am fully confident that the FJC will continue to grow and serve as a beacon of hope for years to come.”

Alliance for HOPE International, the nonprofit Johnson will soon lead, is one of the most influential organizations in the field.

 Based in California, it provides training, research and policy guidance to agencies across the country and around the world. Its work centers on developing collaborative, trauma-informed and hope-centered approaches to assisting survivors of violence. For Johnson, who’s spent her career creating and refining one of the most effective local examples of that model, the move represents a natural progression.

For Guilford County, the transition raises the question of who’ll fill the big empty shoes left behind and lead the Justice Center into its next chapter.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners and county administrators will be tasked with finding a successor capable of maintaining both the quality of services and the reputation Johnson helped establish over the years.

Officials have said they are committed to ensuring continuity as the search unfolds.

Regardless of what comes next, the record is unquestionable: Johnson’s leadership left an indelible mark on Guilford County. In less than a decade, she took an idea and turned it into a nationally recognized program that’s helped tens of thousands of people find safety, dignity and hope.

 Her departure is a major loss for Guilford County government and county residents, but her new role ensures that the lessons and successes forged here will influence policy and practice far beyond North Carolina’s borders.

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