Jeh Charles Johnson (commonly known as Jay Johnson) is an American lawyer and former government official born on September 11, 1957, in New York City. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College in 1979 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1982. Johnson began his legal career as an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (1984–1989) before serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (1989–1991). He later held key government roles as general counsel for the Department of the Air Force (1998–2001) and the Department of Defense (2009–2012). In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed him as the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security, a position he held until 2017. During his tenure, he managed immigration enforcement, border security, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism policies, addressing threats such as ISIS and the Ebola outbreak. After leaving office, he transitioned to the private sector, serving on the boards of directors for Lockheed Martin, U.S. Steel, and PG&E, as well as organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations and the Center for a New American Security. He has since become a prominent commentator on national security and public policy, appearing regularly on programs such as NBC's Meet the Press, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and CNN.