John Wagner is the executive vice president of First 5 LA and heads the organization’s Center for Family Systems and Human Resources. John leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen equitable and effective systems that support the well-being of young children and their families.
With more than 20 years of public leadership experience in health and human services across California, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, John has advanced policies that improve access and outcomes for families. Prior to First 5 LA, he served as director of the California Department of Community Services and Development and before that, as director of the California Department of Social Services, where he led reforms that extended foster care benefits for youth aging out of care and expanded access to Supplemental Security Income for children with disabilities.
Earlier in his career, John was appointed assistant secretary for the Office of Children, Youth and Family Services in Massachusetts and later served as commissioner of the state’s Department of Transitional Assistance. During this time, he worked to enhance accessibility to the state’s food stamp program and led the revamp of the homeless shelter system to better connect families with essential support services.
As part of his commitment to advancing systems change, John represents First 5 LA on several regional bodies, including the Philanthropic Advisory Committee of the Center for Strategic Partnerships, the L.A. Food Equity Roundtable and the Executive Committee of the Partnership for Early Childhood Investment. He also serves on the board of the Celiac Disease Foundation.
John holds both a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University. He lives in Mount Washington with his husband, where they enjoy gardening and spending time outdoors with their dog, Layla.
