Lanny Johnson

Neal Lane Johnson, known as Lanny Johnson (born December 7, 1940), is an American school superintendent in Winnsboro in Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976 to 1980.^[1] Previously, he was the superintendent in two other school districts.

Background

A native of Ouachita Parish, Johnson graduated from Ouachita Parish High School in Monroe. At eighteen, he began playing basketball at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then Northeast Louisiana State College, under coach Lenny Fant, who became a close friend and often supplied Johnson later with humorous references for use in political speeches.^[2] Johnson was ULM's first All-American^[3] and he led the Warhawks, formerly the Indians, to a 17–8 record in 1961–1962 and to their first Gulf South Conference championship. In 1962, Johnson made both the Associated Press and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics listings. Johnson led the GSC in scoring for his last two seasons at ULM. He produced eight 30-point games and concluded his career with ULM's all-time scoring record with 1,366 points.^[4] In 1982, Johnson was inducted into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame for his 1958–1962 seasons at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.^[5]

Political career

Johnson filled the District 20 state House seat vacated by Lantz Womack, a banker and farmer from Winnsboro, who ran unsuccessfully for state agriculture commissioner in the first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary held in Louisiana on November 1, 1975.^[6]

Four years later, Johnson ran unsuccessfully in the primary for the Louisiana State Senate. The victor in the 1979 general election was his state House colleague, Dan Richey, then of Ferriday in Concordia Parish, a Democrat^[7] who years later switched to Republican affiliation. Richey defeated Mary Lou Winters of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, the then Democratic National Committeewoman. A former House member, David I. Patten, a contractor from Harrisonburg in Catahoula Parish, also ran unsuccessfully in the senatorial primary.^[8]

Education career

Johnson holds a Ph.D. in professional education.^[9] From the 1970s until 1984, he was a schoolteacher, administrator, or superintendent for the Tensas Parish School Board in St. Joseph. The Tensas superintendent now is his wife, the former Carol Shipp (born November 11, 1941), originally from Bosco, also in Ouachita Parish.^[9]

From 1984 to 2004, Johnson was the superintendent of the Ouachita Parish School Board, distinct from the Monroe city system.^[2] In Ouachita Parish, he presided over a widespread school expansion program.^[10]

In 2004, he accepted the superintendency of the financially troubled Franklin Parish schools, where he still serves from his office in Winnsboro.^[9] After the failure of several tax propositions, Johnson procured funding for construction and renovation of certain schools.^[11] Johnson, like his superintendent-wife in Tensas Parish, has struggled with weak pupil performance on end-of-course examinations. Thirty-five percent of Franklin Parish public school pupils scored "good" or "excellent” on the 2012–2013 examinations; in 2008–2009, that number had been 37 percent. Johnson said that he will focus upon professional development and assistance from the central office to boost achievement at Franklin Parish High School.^[12]

Lanny and Carol Johnson reside on Lake Bruin near St. Joseph. They have one son, Taylor Lance Johnson (born 1978).^[13]

References