Colonel Jay Johnson exemplifies a lifetime of service, leadership

Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service is proud to celebrate veteran Jay Johnson, director of the George V. Voinovich Academy for Excellence in Public Service, located at OHIO’s Dublin Campus.

Johnson “raised his hand,” or took an oath of enlistment to the United States Marine Corps, on Dec. 20, 1983.

“I swore an allegiance to defend the Constitution of the United States, and I took this oath faithfully,” Johnson said. “I am still committed to this oath.”

Around the same time, he enrolled at OHIO to pursue his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. At OHIO he met his wife and joined the Marine Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program. Often, he would use the PLC meetings as an excuse to leave English class early to meet his then-girlfriend, now-wife, on campus, as she was a student in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.  

“One time this professor was going over on his lecture,” Johnson recalled. “So, I raised my hand and said, ‘I’ve got to go, I’m in this PLC program, I’ve got to get to this next session.’ Which was totally BS. It was all about connecting with her.”

Johnson graduated from OHIO in 1986 with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and was commissioned a second lieutenant after completing Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. He continued his career in the Marine Corps, rising through the ranks where he served for 33 years, moving 22 times and serving in over 20 countries.  

Using his leadership experience to train new leaders

He retired in 2016 as a “full bird” colonel, after serving in several command and staff positions in the Marine Corps. Today, he uses his leadership experience to educate and train others to become public service leaders.

In September, Johnson celebrated his ninth year working at the Voinovich Academy and over 40 years as a public servant. His work there, where he also teaches a series of classes focused on strategic leadership and executive coaching, is a natural continuation of his lifelong commitment to leadership and service.

“The academy is an opportunity for us to help build leadership capacity for those in public service,” Johnson said. “Think local government at the state, county, state agencies, and nonprofits. We do that by building either customized programs, or we have prepared leadership programs that we offer. I take great pride in working with our Academy team in making a difference to those in public service.”

Johnson also works with multiple nonprofits across central Ohio, including Toys for Tots, The Overwatch Partnership, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Ohio has the sixth largest veteran population in the country

“Ohio itself is unique because we have the sixth largest veteran population in the U.S. and a lot of people don't realize that” he said. “I’ve worked with veterans that are relocating back into the area to help them get assimilated and look for opportunities for them to use their military experience for private or public service.”

The commitment and desire to serve others that Johnson internalized in the military has carried into his work today. The biggest lesson, according to him, has been the ability to communicate with other people.

“At the end of the day, fundamentally, it’s about being able to work with people and understanding what they are doing,” Johnson said. “Making sure they understand what the vision is and the mission that we're trying to accomplish.”

Although Johnson didn’t take an oath to serve at the Voinovich Academy, the same principles that guided his military career continue to define his work today.

“When you're serving in the military, it's about the people that you serve, and those to your left and to your right,” Johnson said. “Same thing when you're doing this. It's about allowing them to make connections and build a network.”