Stephanie Johnson is assistant bureau director of the Analysis Bureau in the California Franchise Tax Board’s (FTB) Technology Services Division. She is also a veteran of state and technology service, having worked for the state for more than a quarter-century, 23 of those years in IT — and 16 of them at FTB.
The board serves more than 20 million people a year and supports the collection of 77 percent of California’s revenue. Johnson is part of its executive management team and oversees a staff of 82. Her responsibilities include supporting the board’s core tax systems, maintaining existing IT solutions and implementing new ones. In February, Johnson was recognized with a Leadership Award for her work in technology at the California Public Sector CIO Academy, presented by Government Technology.*
Industry Insider — California: Talk about your time in the public sector. How long have you been at the state, how long have you been at the Franchise Tax Board and how long have you been in your current role?
Johnson: I began working for the state of California more than 26 years ago and have enjoyed many years of wonderful experiences, learning opportunities, and growth both personally and professionally. I have been in the IT field for 23 years, with 16 of those years at the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Through my years at FTB, I have had the opportunity to be a part of some great projects, working with some amazing people helping to serve Californians. Currently, I am the assistant bureau director of the Analysis Bureau within the Technology Services Division at FTB. I have served in this role for 1.5 years.
IICA: How would you describe your current role in terms of responsibilities and duties? How large is your current team?
Johnson: As an assistant bureau director, I am part of FTB’s executive management team and participate in enterprise governance. I am responsible for supporting FTB’s core tax systems. This includes maintaining existing IT systems and implementing new system functionality to ensure the state can serve more than 20 million taxpayers a year and support the collection of 77 percent of the state’s revenues. I oversee a staff of 82 employees. This talented, hardworking and dedicated team keeps our IT systems updated, supports our business processes, integrates the requirements of new legislation, and completes large IT projects — all part of our commitment to serve our constituents and provide an excellent customer experience. In addition to my role as assistant bureau director, I am also serving as the technical project director for the implementation of Assembly Bill 192, the Better for Families Tax Refund otherwise known as the Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) Project.
IICA: What big IT initiatives or projects are you working on? What sorts of projects might be coming your way in 2023?
Johnson: I am currently working on the MCTR Project, which is California’s largest stimulus program ever and administered by FTB to provide inflation relief payments benefiting almost 32 million California taxpayers and their dependents. The program is a collaborative effort with the State Controller’s Office and the State Treasurer’s Office. It includes FTB using prepaid debit cards, for the first time, through a third-party vendor to issue close to 60 percent of the MCTR payments. While the majority of payments have been issued, there’s still more work to do. Another big IT initiative I’m involved with is FTB’s Enterprise Data to Revenue 2 (EDR2) project, which is one of the largest IT projects in the state. EDR2 is the second of three major IT projects FTB will complete over 30 years to modernize our IT systems. This large and complex IT project is a collaborative effort with our vendor partners and focuses on modernizing our audit and compliance systems. This year much of my focus will remain on EDR2 and the final stages of the MCTR program.
IICA: You accepted a CIO Leadership Award at the recent California Public Sector CIO Academy. Can you share a bit about the work that led to you receiving that award, the needs it resolved, its goals and your role in it?
Johnson: After being appointed as the technical project director for the MCTR project, I hit the ground running and collaborating with FTB’s MCTR project team, the State Controller’s Office, the State Treasurer’s Office, and our vendor partners. I knew that this would be a large and complex effort. However, our vendor partners were instrumental in working with us to understand the unique aspect of integrating our services with that of the vendor and their requirements. This was the first time FTB used prepaid debit cards to issue payments and several factors were key to the project’s success: excellent communication internally and externally, a great partnership with our vendors, and building the necessary system functionality to quickly issue over 16.8 million MCTR payments to eligible tax filers. We could not have accomplished this huge feat in just four months without the collaboration, communication, and great partnerships. AB 192 aimed to provide inflation relief by issuing one-time payments to Californians who may have been adversely impacted by economic disruptions. FTB was called on to administer this important program for the state and our primary goal was to get payments into the hands of qualified tax filers as quickly and accurately as possible.
IICA: What best practices might you offer as a result of having completed that work?
Johnson: I have developed some best practices over the years that have proven successful for me and following them for the MCTR project was no exception:
- Establish a good understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish.
- Establish a team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).
- Provide clear and concise communication.
- Develop a plan and timeline.
- Execute the plan making necessary adjustments along the way.
- Lastly, have the versatility to expect anything and the confidence to handle everything.
Johnson: I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the MCTR project because of the benefit and relief it provides so many Californians, but I am most proud of my amazing team and our great vendor partnerships. The collaboration amongst the team and the hard work and dedication they put into administering this program contributed to the overall success of getting money in the hands of California families as quickly as possible. I couldn’t be prouder!
IICA: What has surprised you most this year in government technology?
Johnson: What has surprised me the most this year is our ability to successfully adapt to new technologies, and the accelerated pace we need to be able to deliver to our citizens while also juggling the surprises. Even though the pandemic started three years ago, government entities are still faced with challenges from resources, changing workloads, and increased costs. It was no different for FTB when we took on the MCTR initiative. As we were already well into EDR2, we faced new opportunities and challenges with this $9.2 billion inflation relief program (MCTR). With FTB’s track record for successfully delivering large IT projects, we were able to overcome the challenges that come with implementing a relatively new program using prepaid debit cards for the first time as well as the operational challenges because of our state’s commitment to our citizens and our public servants. As technology offers more solutions and services, FTB continues to evolve and implement changes in support of its long-term vision to modernize our IT systems, while learning to do more with less.
IICA: What do you read to stay abreast of developments in the gov tech/SLED sector?
Johnson: I typically read Government Technology* magazines and papers, The Harvard Business Review articles, and Gartner articles. Being an analyst at heart, I also enjoy doing online research and going on an information treasure hunt when I come across a new or interesting topic.
IICA: What are your favorite hobbies and what do you enjoy reading?
Johnson: Some of my favorite hobbies are spending time with my grandchildren, traveling and puzzling. On a rainy day, I enjoy curling up and reading a good leadership or Danielle Steel book.
*Government Technology magazine is a publication of e.Republic, which also produces Industry Insider — California.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for style and brevity.
