OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Lisa Johnston has spent the past 17 years working in higher education teaching and supporting students. This should come as a breath of fresh air when viewing the current education disparities in Kansas and the nation.
For the past seven years, Johnston has worked as Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services at Baker University where she both teaches courses and oversees a variety of support services for students.
Prior to holding this position Johnston served in a variety of administrative, teaching, and academic support roles at several different universities. She has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology from the University of Central Missouri and the University of Kansas and will complete her Ph.D. in Foundations of Education from the University of Kansas in May of 2010.
During her seven years at Baker University, Johnston has served on the faculty senate and has been actively involved in the faculty legislative and governance process, helping to set policies and procedures to benefit students pursuing their degrees. As an educator, she understands the critical importance of ensuring that young people in our country be provided with a top-notch education.
In her current role, she has also served on a wide variety of committees and been elected to chair positions on several committees. Moreover, she oversees budgets for three administrative areas and is a skilled and prudent financial manager. She understands the critical nature of setting spending priorities and working with available funds to support our priorities.
Johnston lives in Overland Park with her husband of eleven years, Kyle, who is the Web and Digital Creative Director for Garmin International in Olathe. She has lived in the Midwest her entire life and has lived in Kansas for the last thirteen years. Her husband, Kyle, is a lifelong Kansas resident who was born and raised in McPherson, KS.
Johnston has been involved in her neighborhood as a member of the architectural committee for the Fairway Woods homeowners association. She and her husband are also involved with charitable activities and contributions most recently including Animal Haven and TLC for Children and Families.
Johnston is passionate about improving both the future of Kansas and our country. She has been contributing to the future of both her state and the nation by supporting students as they strive to reach their educational goals and become our future societal contributors. She now hopes to use the skill and knowledge she has accumulated over the better part of two decades in higher education to serve the State of Kansas in the United States Senate.
Johnston believes that we need more tough-minded, outspoken leaders in Washington who are committed to doing what is best for their state and their nation and who do not just stick to politics as usual.
Given her background in higher education and status as a Washington outsider, she hopes to have the opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to Washington.
Learn about Lisa's positions on issues important to Kansans here.
Thank you, Denise, for the good presentation of Lisa's qualifications and positions on the issues.
Not to sound bad but before I vote for a public servant I would like to first see their record of service in a variety of elected positions. Before one runs for the US Senate they should at least have been a mayor or state representative first and before that they should have served on city councils or school boards. All the article says is she works at Baker University. While I'm sure she does an excellent job in her work there, I'm sorry but I feel that service in the protected world of academia is different than serving in the public arena.
Not trying to be argumentative, Brad; just stating my own views on the subject you introduced. I don't think that politics needs to be a career. I don't need my US Sentator to have been a politician in the past.
As a matter of fact, at this point in time in US History, we have a lot of career politicians in Washington and the system is fairly corrupt.
Perhaps what is needed is just regular people of INTEGRITY with a strong sense of HONOR, JUSTICE and DUTY to their country and their fellow man and a good foundation of understanding on the subject of the function of government in order to get the government back to one that works for the people instead of the wealthy corporations. Since I can't remember the last US Senator that actually represented anything that I hold dear, I support Lisa if she is willing to listen to the people and bases her agenda on improving life and community for her constituents rather than advancing personal religious or ideological philosophies.
Brad, if you don't think administrative responsibilities in the academic world is not serving in the public arena, you need to rethink. I have served on a community college board (elected position) and on several other elected boards. We had more public input about the academic issues than we did on any administrative issues on any other boards I've served on. Good administrators in the academic field have had to deal with public wants and predjudices more than most any other judicatories.