By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
NICKERSON, Kan. — Nickerson USD 309 Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson is back in Kansas. Johnson just recently completed studies at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy in Washington, D.C. Johnson says it is good to be back in Kansas.
“It feels great. I forgot what Kansas wind was like and it didn’t take long to be reminded of it,” Johnson said. “Other than that, the further south and west that I drove, the more like home that it felt.”
Johnson says the course work was very intense and noted that only a very small handful of officers that made it into the college were in the reserves.
“There were about 300 plus folks in my class and only three of us were reserve soldiers,” Johnson said. “We had class Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and then every Wednesday we had guest speakers.” Those speakers included leaders from Google, along with other businesses and military leaders. Those discussions centered around how the military can get and keep good people, and compete with large companies for those workers. She added that getting those workers has become even more difficult with the pandemic. Completion of the coursework in Washington also meant a promotion. Johnson is now a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
“When I show it in my first reserve gig, back to one weekend a month that will be fun,” Johnson said. “I’m very humbled. There were about 1,750 folks that were up for promotion and only 435 were promoted, and so it gets thinner at the top and I feel very blessed to be one of the few to be selected to continue on.”
Johnson says now that she is back in Kansas it is time to start work on plans to get students back in schools this fall.