Johnson
The seat was made vacant by the recent death of incumbent school board member Terry McGuire.
“Terry was a true friend and supporter of the students and faculty of the Bradley County School System,” Johnson said. “(His passing) has left a huge void in the hearts of many and large shoes to fill on the School Board.”
He added, “I believe that my education, training and experience qualify me to fill this board vacancy.”
Johnson is a product of the Bradley County School System. He attended Waterville Elementary School and Trewhitt Jr. High School, and is a 1981 graduate of Bradley Central High School.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Bryan College in Dayton and an associate of applied science degree from Cleveland State Community College. He is licensed by the Tennessee Department of Education with an apprentice occupational education license to teach legal/protective services. He also holds numerous instructor certifications in law enforcement.
“My professional career has been spent exclusively in the emergency response field in service to the residents of Bradley County,” he said. “I spent many years volunteering with the Bradley County Fire/Rescue Service. My full-time employment has consisted mainly in the field of law enforcement.”
Johnson has served in both the Cleveland Police Department and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. While employed by the Sheriff’s Office, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He has received more than 1,000 hours of specialized training ranging from crash investigations to responding to incidents of school violence.
“I found my passion when I attended D.A.R.E. instructor training and was assigned to teach this program in the elementary schools from 1993 to 2000 in Bradley County,” he said. “In teaching this program, I came to realize that every child has to forge his or her own way in life, and in doing so, face many difficult decisions. The positive relationships built with the students at an early age and providing a positive role model are what I cherish most dearly from teaching the program.”
In 2000, he was re-assigned to be the full-time school resource officer at BCHS.
“What a thrill to serve my alma mater in this position and to be given the opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives on a daily basis,” he stressed.
Johnson was promoted to the supervisor role of the School Resource Officers Unit for the entire Bradley County School District and directed a staff of 16 officers assigned to each of the schools in the county. Numerous safety plans, evaluations and events were conducted in order to ensure the safety and security of students and staff.
He is currently employed by Bradley County Emergency Management as operations officer.
“This job requires me to maintain the County Basic Emergency Operations Plan and ensure its implementation during times of disaster,” he said. “I also continue to conduct training as the need arises and particularly enjoy those occasions when I can educate and instruct our children and teens in how to protect themselves and their families when disasters strike.”
He added, “Based on my training and experience, I feel I am the most qualified candidate to fill this vacancy. I will work hard to ensure that the children and teens of Bradley County receive the best education possible, and that the staff has the proper tools available to deliver the education that each student in Bradley County deserves.”
Johnson closed, “I would humbly ask for your vote and support in the Nov. 2 election.”
