RUTLAND — Gail Johnson announced her intention to run for a seat on the Rutland City Board of Aldermen in a news release Dec. 1. Johnson is currently active in community projects including the revitalization of a large Rutland neighborhood. The election is slated for March 7, 2017.
Johnson said her priorities are to lower taxes, create more opportunities for viable employment, and continue to work for a better quality of life. “I want to continue the progress our city is seeing,” she stated. “I believe I can serve a vital role in making that happen as a member of the Board of Aldermen.”
Johnson is no stranger to overseeing budgets and financial responsibilities. With a degree in Business from the University of Louisville, K.Y., she put her skills to work in the U.S. Navy, becoming the first female Finance Officer assigned to the then largest stateside Naval Base at Charleston, S.C., during the Vietnam Conflict.
“I jumped in with both feet,” she said, “becoming in charge of not only all military payroll on the base but also the payroll for the Atlantic Fleet’s blue and gold submarine boats.” She said the training she received in disbursing and accounting at that level prepared her for a lifetime appreciation of setting and working within budgets large and small.
Small business was her focus following her military tour. She worked several years for a U.S. Congressman on constituents’ problems with Small Business Administration issues. In addition, she has owned and operated a breeding farm in north Georgia. In subsequent moves to different states, Johnson became a successful small business owner of a tutoring school, head of an editing service, and is now a consultant in community revitalization.
Johnson has completed a stint as chair of a county architectural review board and member of a regional transportation study committee before moving to Rutland. In Rutland, Johnson been involved in Project VISION, Rutland Housing Authority, the startup for Habitat for Humanity, in addition to currently overseeing volunteer activities in the 54-street Historic SW neighborhood.
“A better Quality of Life isn’t just for the few,” Johnson said. “If elected, I want to be sure everyone receives their fair share of a better quality of life here. Everyone.”
Johnson holds a degree in business administration from the University of Louisville, K.Y.; a Master’s degree in education from Georgia State University, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University, Fairfax, V.A. She is a military veteran, having served as a U.S. Navy Finance Officer during Vietnam.
