LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR; Johnson lands job in higher education
BYLINE: Kathy Lynn Gray, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson will become the chief executive officer of the Inter-University Council of Ohio.
Johnson, 46, announced last week that this Friday will be his last day as lieutenant governor and director of the Ohio Department of Development. He said he was pursuing opportunities in private business but would not give details.
Maria Smith, spokeswoman for the development department, said yesterday that Johnson was not in a position to speak about his new employment at this time.
But Kent State University President Lester Lefton said last week that Johnson will head the council. Johnson's new position also was mentioned recently at an Ohio Board of Regents' meeting.
The council is a nonprofit research and lobbying arm for the state's 14 public universities. The members are the university presidents, who meet nine times a year.
The group lobbies the legislature and the governor's office for higher-education funding and other issues of interest to their universities.
Interim Director Cindy L. McQuade said Johnson's new title will be chief executive officer and president. She said it is unclear when he'll begin his new job.
Council director James E. McCollum retired in June after a decade in the position. McQuade has been assistant director since 1994 and did not apply for the top job.
A search committee helped the council select Johnson.
Dr. Sidney Ribeau, president of Bowling Green State University, is chairman of the council. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Johnson, a lawyer, has headed the development department since early 2005. He was in the Ohio Senate from 1994 to 2001.