Mark Johnson:
CLASS OF 1979
Labette County High SchoolClass of 1979
Altamont, KS
Pittsburg State UniversityClass of 9999
Pittsburg, KS
University of Arkansas - Graduate SchoolClass of 1993
Fayetteville, AR
Pittsburg State UniversityClass of 1983
Pittsburg, KS
Meadow View Elementary SchoolClass of 1975
Parsons, KS
Mark's Story
Life
My family and I live in Pittsburg, KS. Having moved to Pittsburg in 1981 to attend PSU, I found a place to call home, with a world of opportunity and beautiful woman with which to share my life.
Jacki and I were married in 1984. We have three sons, Jeremy 22, Joshua 19 and Logan 15. Many of you would probably ask the first question many ask me when they see my sons, "Where did they get their height?" Having been vertically challenged myself, my sons fortunately were blessed with my grandfathers and Jacki's family genes. My grandfather was 6'6" and her brother is 6'4".
At 22, Jeremy is 6'4". Although he doesnt play basketball, he is an active honors college student, and currently serves as the Student Body President at PSU, just like I did 25 years ago. He is also active in community theater productions. In band, heplayed in the state Masonic Band three years and was spotlighted on national tv in this last year's Cotton Bowl Parade during halftime when the PHS band went to Dallas for new year's. He was easy to spot being a 6'4" tuba player.
At 19, Joshua is the musician and athlelete of the family. Perhaps some of you will remember that I probably wasn't the most talented of athletes, let alone that coordinated. But as with height fortunately athletic ability can also skip generations. He played for three years on the PHS soccer team, freshman basketball team, and tennis team. He too is active in community theater productions, and is very musically active, playingin 5 different bands. As a senior at PHS, he is the Senior Class President and was Homecomiong King his senior year. He is now a sophomore at PSU majoring in music education.
At 15, Logan is set on being every bit as involved as his older brothers. He is active in 4-H, theater, debate and band. He plays the alto sax and piano.
Jacki is a talented computer programmer with an extensive background in accounting. Having spent nearly 20 years in the field, she works as a consultant with school districts and local businesses in handling payroll programming and bookkeeping work activities. She too is a very busy lady, trying to keep up with work in between hauling kids here and there to this activity or that. She serves as treasurer of at least three different community boards.
As a family we enjoy a tradition my family did when I was young and that was taking family trips together. At 22, Jeremy has been in 40 states, from California to Niagra Falls, from Mount Rushmore to Orlando, Florida, not to mention 9 forieign countries, including Russia, Austria, Spain, Portugal and France. We enjoy amusement parks, zoos, and Sea World. Nothing like packing up the family and trekking 2000 miles in a van across country.
College
After LCHS, I attended two years at Labette Community College, getting my associate's of arts degree in Agricultrual Economics. During my freshman year I became heavily involved in VICA through an occupational cooperative experience program at the college. I was fortunate to be elected as State President and then on to be National Vice President of the organization. This would be a move that would forever change my life. Serving at the national level gave me exposure to a larger world outside of Kansas. It gave me a chance to meet people and go places I had never been before. Now, half a lifetime later, I look back over my many VICA experiences. Since joining in 1979, I have served extensively at the state, and national levels, having served on both state and national board of directors. I served as the national Alumni Chair for 5 years. And in recent years have been recognized nationally as the Outstanding Alumni Career Achievement Award Winner, a National Honorary Lifetime Member Award, and the National Honorary Alumni Lifetime Member Award.
While at LCC, I also was elected as Student Body Vice President, which helped make my decision to attend Pittsburg State University. My original plans were to attend K-State and major in Ag Econ or Ag Education. But with my work experience in the newspaper industry, my connection to VICA, whose state headquarters is at PSU, and the opportunity to become involved in student politics at a state university, I made the move with my friend Roch Switlik to Pittsburg. In less than 3 months on campus I was extensively involved in student senate, student center board of governors, and Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. By the end of my junior year I was elected as Student Body President of PSU with which came the appointment to the Kansas Board of Regents Stude...Expand for more
nt Advisory Council.
It would be at PSU that I would find my life. It is there that I found my passion for being a community leader and a passion for teaching. After getting my bachelor's in Business Administration, I would return in 1986 to take my first time position at the university as the State VICA Executive Director and instructor at PSU. I received my Masters in Technical Teacher Education in 1987 and my Education Specialist Degree in 1989 in Industrial Education. From there I continued on to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where I got my Educational Doctorate in Vocational Education in 1993.
PSU is also where I found my wife, who had gotten her degree in computer science from here in 1979. Its hard to believe I have been at the University 22 years already.
Workplace
My first job off the farm was as a $2 and hour grunt pulling papers off the press for the Parsons Sun. Fortunately, being highly motivated, I was soon moved to district manager and shifted my responsibilities to managing carriers and rack sales. By the time I left the Parsons Sun in 1981 to attend PSU, I was the assistant circulation manager, overseeing 75 carriers and route drivers, and maintaining rack sales at 50 retail outlets.
In Feb of 1982 I once again sought employment at the local newspaper, this time, the Morning Sun. After three weeks, I was moved to the front office as district manager. Again I contracted carriers and handled rack sales. By the time I left the Morning Sun in 1984, I was the circulation assistant Manager.
In 1984 I went back to the Parsons Sun where I was hired on as an an advertising salesperson. The pay was better and I got to meet alot of good folks in the business community. But in 4 months, the circulation manager's position opened up and I moved into that position. I was responsible for about a $750,000 budget and 80 employees.
About then, I got the call in January of 1986 to come to PSU and begin my educational career as the State VICA Director and coordinate the activities for students in trade and industrial programs aroudn the state. This was a non tenure instructor position, but it was at least closer to home and was a 30% increase in pay.
In 1989, I was promoted to Assistant Professor and became the diretor of the Curriculum Resource Center at PSU. I began teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in technical education and human resource development, while working on my doctorate at the university of Arkansas. This would require me to take a day of vacation every week for 16 weeks for three semesters while teaching full time on and off campus.
In 1994, I was promoted to Associate Professor in Technical Education, after receiving my doctorate in 1993. I continued to teach full-time after the curriculum center was moved to Washburn university. In 1995 I was named PSU's Ouststanding Faculty Member and Outstanding Faculty Advisor. This would begin a string of national awards and recognition that would last about 5 years. It was at that time that I was elected to serve on 4 national boards of directors in education: The American Vocational Association (now ACTE), SkillsUSA VICA, the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute, and the National Association for Trade and Industrial Education. In 1996 I was named the Ethel SMith National Memorial Award for Excellence in Service. In that year I also received the AVA Outstanding Service Award for Trade and Industrial Educaiton. In 1998 I was named the Kansas Vocational Educator of the year, as well as VICA's Outstanding Alumni Carrer Achievement Award, and National Honorary Lifetime Member Award. In 1999 I was named the Western Region Oustanding Vocational Educator of the Year. And in December the unbelievable happened when I was selected as the nation's Outstanding Vocational Educator of the year 2000.
Hence, in 2002, I was promoted to full Professor in Technical Education. In addition to running an off campus program for Technology Management in Kansas City and Wichita, I also teach graduate and undergraduate courses in Human Resource Development at PSU. The recognition over the years has led to many opportunities to teach workshops in several states through out the region on technical teacher education, SkillsUSA development, and Parliamentary Procedure. I also serve as keynote speaker at technical college commencements throughout the state and vocational conferences around the country.
The great thing about teaching is that its all about helping others. Plus I get to talk and people pay me to do it!
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