Gene Johnson ’73 unveiled Johnson Alumni Way during Homecoming Saturday with the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band watching. It was only fitting that the band be there; it was a generous donation from Gene and his wife Vickie ’71 ’82 that made the Pride of Niner Nation possible.
Alumni, students and friends of the University gathered on the lawn of the Harris Alumni Center on Sept. 28 to dedicate Johnson Alumni Way in honor of the Johnsons, whose commitment to UNC Charlotte spans decades.
“For more than 40 years, Gene and Vickie Johnson have been among our most dedicated and active supporters,” said Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “As one of our most avid alums, Gene has served on nearly every board and worn nearly every hat that we’ve asked him to. And Vickie has been there every step of the way to support his inability to say no.”
The Johnsons’ generosity touches nearly every area of the University. The couple’s $2 million gift in 2014 created the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band. They also provided support for the creation of the drum line and the Vickie and Gene Johnson Marching Band Center. The Johnsons financially supported the construction of the Barnhardt Student Activity Center and the Harris Alumni Center.
They established the Johnson Scholars program to increase opportunities at UNC Charlotte for students from middle income families who do not qualify for federal grant programs. The inaugural class of five Johnson Scholars enrolled at the University this semester.
Gene Johnson was the first alumnus to chair the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and the first alumnus to chair the University’s foundation board. He currently chairs EXPONENTIAL: The Campaign for UNC Charlotte, which has raised $192 million of its $200 million goal.
During the University’s recent Niner Nation Gives digital fundraising campaign, Gene Johnson made a number of challenge gifts, including matching dollar for dollar gifts made by students. The campaign raised more than $683,000 from more than 3,200 donors in 50 states.
“Vickie and I do what we do out of a sense of real gratitude for this university,” Gene Johnson told those who attended the dedication. “This university and you have, collectively, given us so much and it’s hard to imagine that we could ever repay that.”
The Johnsons model what it means to be committed alumni, said Krista Manns ’95, president of the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Board of Directors. “As alumni Board of Directors members, our goal is to always be ambassadors, advocates and investors for the University. Vickie and Gene Johnson have created an incredible blueprint for us to follow.”
Gene Johnson earned an accounting degree from the Belk College of Business. He is a U.S. Army veteran who, after his discharge, had a successful career as a certified public accountant and businessman. He owned a cable television construction and engineering firm and was chief operating officer of Enstar Cable Corp. He was president of JC&A Inc., an investment banking and brokerage firm serving the cable television and telephone industries. He co-founded MJD Communications Inc., which later became FairPoint Communications. He retired as chairman and chief operating officer of FairPoint in 2009.
UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees members Dennis Bunker ’81 and Brett Keeter ’99, Student Body President Chandler Crean, former UNC Charlotte Chancellor Jim Woodward and Johnson Scholar Brad Kathman attended the dedication.
Chancellor Dubois (photo, right) presented the Johnsons with a special gift: a painting of the Johnson Alumni Way sign with the Harris Alumni Center in the background. The painting is an original work by Myron Macklin, a graphic designer in University Communications.
Photo, top, Gene and Vickie Johnson, center, with Krista Manns and Chancellor Dubois and members of the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band.