WESTFIELD – Westfield State University President Elizabeth H. Preston announced today that Robert Johnson has been named as the newest member of the Westfield State University Board of Trustees. He will be sworn in on Wednesday, September 18.
Johnson earned his B.S. and M.Ed. from Westfield State University in elementary education, and special education administration respectively.
“I owe my career to Westfield State and would like to give back,” Johnson said. “I look forward to serving the Board, the students, and the community of Westfield state University.”
Johnson retired in 2013 from his position of President and CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts Inc. In this position, he established an entrepreneurial approach to fundraising that funded the programs for the organization for nearly 23 years at an estimated total of $75 million. He managed a capital campaign to raise $12 million to build a state-of-the-art of training center, the Yawkey Sports Training Center in Marlborough Mass. In March 2013, The Robert A. Johnson Center for Integrity was dedicated at the Yawkey Sports Training Center. Johnson also developed a strategic affiliation with the University of Massachusetts Medical School designed to improve the quality and availability of healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities.
“Bob Johnson represents the best in public service,” said Elizabeth H. Preston, president, Westfield State University. “He led the Special Olympics with integrity and vision and his longstanding history with both public and nonprofit institutions will provide immeasurable value to the work of the Board.”
Prior to his position at the Special Olympics, Johnson served as the director of the Bureau of Program Audit and Assistance at the Massachusetts Department of Education, and in educational and supervisory roles in the Hampshire Regional School District, Northampton Public Schools, and Belchertown State School.
A longtime advocate for special education, Johnson pioneered the use of micro-computers in the management of special education student records in 1979. He established school-based development strategies entitled “Computer Generated Program Designs” for children with autism, severe learning disabilities, and severe head injuries that resulted in approximately 40 community-based programs in the state.
Johnson’s community service efforts include current president of the Foundation for Medical Device Careers Inc. and previous positions as president of the Massachusetts Association of Administrators of Special Education, member of the United States Leadership Council (USLC), and chairperson of the Hampshire Education Collaborative Special Education Steering Committee. He was previously awarded an honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Westfield State in 2010.
Johnson’s first official Board of Trustees meeting will be on Wednesday, October 8.
Comprised of 11 members, the board of trustees is appointed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each member is appointed for a five-year term, with the possibility of one additional term of five years. Information about the selection and responsibilities of board members can be found on the DHE website athttp://www.mass.edu/forinstitutions/trustees/home.asp
Current trustees include Robert Johnson ’70, ’72, former president and CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts; Terrell M. Hill, ’92, principal, High School, Inc.; Steven Marcus, ’88, president/CEO of New England Geriatrics; Hon. Luis Perez, former First Justice, Worcester Juvenile Court; Kevin R. Queenin, ’70, Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc.; Hon. Elizabeth D. Scheibel, former Northwestern District Attorney (chair); James C. Hagan, ’84, president, Westfield Bank; and student trustee Joshua Frank ‘15. There are currently two vacancies on the board of trustees.
