Who is Joel Johnson? Who I am, what I believe:
As a fiscal and political conservative, I identify most closely with the governing philosophy exemplified by that great American, Ronald Wilson Reagan. The essence of his inspiring belief in the virtues of that "Shining City on a Hill", of which he so often and eloquently spoke when invoking his vision of America's promise for all all mankind, lives on in my heart and mind. So too, the all-but-forgotten legacy of one of President Reagan's own political guiding lights (and whose portrait he ordered to be prominently displayed in the Cabinet Room during his administration), Calvin Coolidge. "Silent Cal", as he was called by the political pundits of his day, was a man of unassailable integrity, frugality and dedication to public service whose touchstone of governing was succinctly expressed in a characteristically brief position statement, to wit:
"I want taxes to be less."
- Calvin Coolidge
A Short Biography
Born at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence on March 4, 1952, as a child I was raised (and continue to live) on Gough Avenue in what the "old timers" referred to as the Bakerville section of Coventry and attended public school here (Anthony Schoolhouse, Quidnick Grammar School), graduating from Coventry High School in June of 1970.
I attended the University of Rhode Island from September 1970 to May 1974 earning a BA in Political Science, while working as a grocery clerk for the ALMACS supermarket chain at their store in the Clyde section of West Warwick.
My career in public service began in 1977, when I took my first professional management position as administrative aide at Coventry Town Hall, during the tenure of Town Manager Ronald W. Owens, while at the same time attending the night division of Suffolk University Law School.
In June of 1980 an opportunity availed itself for me to assume a position with the City of Newport, where I served in successive positions as: Administrative Assistant, Research & Budget Analyst, Deputy Finance Director/City Treasurer and finally as Director of Finance and Support Services with an interim stint as Acting City Manager for seven months during 1995. Concurrently with my employment in Newport, I also served for ten years (1988-1998) as a trustee of the innovative and ground-breaking Rhode Island Inter-local Risk Management Trust, ultimately attaining the positions of Vice Chairman, membership on its three-person management committee and chairman of The Trust's underwriting committee.
A bit of wanderlust took hold of me in 1998, prompting a resignation from my long-time association with the City of Newport in favor of exploring other personal interests and potential career opportunities. First, in 1999, came a successful journey to Sweden to re-connect with my family's origins (with additional trips in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007) which yielded over three dozen new-found relatives and lots of exciting adventures in the land of the Vikings. These personal escapades were partially recounted in a subsequent article I authored for the Winter 2005 issue of Nordic Reach magazine (Number 11 Volume XVII), which according to the publisher engendered more positive reader comment than anything else they had ever published.
Next, later in 1999, came my enrollment in the night division of the RI School of Design, from which I graduated in June of 2003. In keeping with my typical practice, I also managed during this period to hold down a full-time job with Crate & Barrel at the Providence Place Mall, where I learned an awful lot about marketing and promotion in a retail environment. Since graduating from RISD, I have established and maintained an artistic presence on the internet through my own online retailing venture called TropiCoolUniverse, which can be found at:
www.TropiCoolUniverse.com
Volunteer Activities
Volunteering in the field of senior care and assisted-living has been an interest of mine for the past several years. In May of 2002 The Scandinavian Home, which is located at 1811 Broad Street in Cranston, selected me to serve as a member of its board of directors. Soon thereafter, I was elected President of "The Home", serving in that capacity for five years (2005-2010), until I recently stepped down from that position upon the completion of my term in office. Likewise, I presently serve on the board of Ocean State Assisted Living (a joint venture of The Scandinavian Home and Steere House of Providence, which owns and operates The Seasons - East Greenwich), an organization for which I have also recently served as President (2008-2010). This beautiful facility is located on the grounds of Saint Elizabeth Community, on Route 2 in the town of East Greenwich. Both of these non-profit corporations have well-known reputations for operating some of the finest and highest-rated, state-of-the-art assisted-living retirement facilities for the elderly in the State of Rhode Island. It has truly been an honor and privilege for me to have done my small part in contributing to their legacy of excellence in the field of senior care.
"I want taxes to be less."
- Calvin Coolidge
A Short Biography
Born at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence on March 4, 1952, as a child I was raised (and continue to live) on Gough Avenue in what the "old timers" referred to as the Bakerville section of Coventry and attended public school here (Anthony Schoolhouse, Quidnick Grammar School), graduating from Coventry High School in June of 1970.
I attended the University of Rhode Island from September 1970 to May 1974 earning a BA in Political Science, while working as a grocery clerk for the ALMACS supermarket chain at their store in the Clyde section of West Warwick.
My career in public service began in 1977, when I took my first professional management position as administrative aide at Coventry Town Hall, during the tenure of Town Manager Ronald W. Owens, while at the same time attending the night division of Suffolk University Law School.
In June of 1980 an opportunity availed itself for me to assume a position with the City of Newport, where I served in successive positions as: Administrative Assistant, Research & Budget Analyst, Deputy Finance Director/City Treasurer and finally as Director of Finance and Support Services with an interim stint as Acting City Manager for seven months during 1995. Concurrently with my employment in Newport, I also served for ten years (1988-1998) as a trustee of the innovative and ground-breaking Rhode Island Inter-local Risk Management Trust, ultimately attaining the positions of Vice Chairman, membership on its three-person management committee and chairman of The Trust's underwriting committee.
A bit of wanderlust took hold of me in 1998, prompting a resignation from my long-time association with the City of Newport in favor of exploring other personal interests and potential career opportunities. First, in 1999, came a successful journey to Sweden to re-connect with my family's origins (with additional trips in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007) which yielded over three dozen new-found relatives and lots of exciting adventures in the land of the Vikings. These personal escapades were partially recounted in a subsequent article I authored for the Winter 2005 issue of Nordic Reach magazine (Number 11 Volume XVII), which according to the publisher engendered more positive reader comment than anything else they had ever published.
Next, later in 1999, came my enrollment in the night division of the RI School of Design, from which I graduated in June of 2003. In keeping with my typical practice, I also managed during this period to hold down a full-time job with Crate & Barrel at the Providence Place Mall, where I learned an awful lot about marketing and promotion in a retail environment. Since graduating from RISD, I have established and maintained an artistic presence on the internet through my own online retailing venture called TropiCoolUniverse, which can be found at:
www.TropiCoolUniverse.com
Volunteer Activities
Volunteering in the field of senior care and assisted-living has been an interest of mine for the past several years. In May of 2002 The Scandinavian Home, which is located at 1811 Broad Street in Cranston, selected me to serve as a member of its board of directors. Soon thereafter, I was elected President of "The Home", serving in that capacity for five years (2005-2010), until I recently stepped down from that position upon the completion of my term in office. Likewise, I presently serve on the board of Ocean State Assisted Living (a joint venture of The Scandinavian Home and Steere House of Providence, which owns and operates The Seasons - East Greenwich), an organization for which I have also recently served as President (2008-2010). This beautiful facility is located on the grounds of Saint Elizabeth Community, on Route 2 in the town of East Greenwich. Both of these non-profit corporations have well-known reputations for operating some of the finest and highest-rated, state-of-the-art assisted-living retirement facilities for the elderly in the State of Rhode Island. It has truly been an honor and privilege for me to have done my small part in contributing to their legacy of excellence in the field of senior care.