Richard C. Johnson

March 22, 2021: Richard C. Johnson was recently named the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD). Prior to his current position, Mr. Johnson served as the senior director for fuel cycle and verification at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. He has held a variety of positions throughout his career including assistant coordinator and deputy lead coordinator (acting) for Iran Nuclear Implementation at the U.S. Department of State, director for nonproliferation at the National Security Council in the Obama Administration, special assistant to Secretary Hillary Clinton’s special advisor for nonproliferation and arms control at the U.S. Department of State, a policy advisor on nonproliferation issues involving North Korea at the U.S. Department of State, and a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Mr. Johnson also served as a senior legislative aide and field representative for California Assembly member Carol Liu. He holds an undergraduate degree from Claremont McKenna College and his master’s degree from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.