Win Johnson '67 is an alumnus of the College, the advisor to Chi Heorot fraternity and someone who raises sheep and cattle in his spare time. And on June 15, he will also be the College's acting vice president and treasurer.
Johnson is one of the few remaining senior administrative officials with experience at the College. He currently serves as the director of financial services and associate treasurer.
When Lyn Hutton leaves to become the vice president and chief financial officer of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Johnson will fill in for her while the College searches for a permanent treasurer. "Lyn has developed a competent staff, and I'll be fortunate to have that to rely on," Johnson said.
He began his career here in 1982 as associate controller and said he is excited about his new role. "I'm looking forward to the new responsibilities, but with a little bit of awe."
His duties will include supervising endowment investment, College- owned real estate, Dash, DarTalk, payroll and the Hanover Inn. "I have been associated with these areas of the vice-presidency on a peer basis, and now I will be in a supervising position," Johnson said.
Johnson majored in economics, played intercollegiate lacrosse during his first year at Dartmouth and was a brother in Chi Phi fraternity, which is now Heorot.
While he said he enjoyed his undergraduate experience, he said he wished he had done more. "I was an average student at best and let a lot of opportunities slip by."
Johnson was in ROTC while at the College and after graduation, served two years in the military, one in Vietnam. He later attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania for his graduate studies.
He said he decided to move back to the Upper Valley after visiting a friend in the area.
"I remembered how much I loved the atmosphere and said that I would like to move back," Johnson said with his serious tone and dry wit. "He bet me $10 that I wouldn't do it. I won."
Even after his return, Johnson did not initially work for the College. Before returning to his alma mater, he worked as a regional director of a planning committee in Springfield, Vt. and then as a controller for Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont.
"I was then getting restless in Claremont and saw an ad in the paper for the associate controller's position," Johnson said. "I think being a graduate has helped me understand Dartmouth, but it wasn't the reason I came back."
Johnson said he is busy making up for the opportunities he felt he missed in school.
"I'm pretty active outdoors. I hike, cross-country ski, and do trail maintenance for the Green Mountain Club," he said. "I also have a small farm where I raise sheep and cattle."
In addition to his official duties at the College, Johnson is also Heorot's faculty advisor and serves on The Dartmouth's Board of Proprietors.
"I enjoy being involved with students, and they are definitely very exciting here," he said.
Former Heorot President Christopher Emond '99 said Johnson is a great asset to the fraternity. "He's really down-to-earth and knows what's going on. He's always willing to talk to us ... and he doesn't always agree with the College on fraternity matters."
Johnson said the most difficult part of his job is countering the negative image of the budget process.
"As fortunate as Dartmouth is ... there's never enough money. Sometimes there's a sense we're living from hand to mouth, and obviously we're not. The challenge is to deal with that sense of scarcity and inform people of other ways to do things."
Johnson said he was happy to hear the announcement that Provost James Wright would be the next president. "I think it's great. He's been here since just after I graduated, and you can see he loves it ... We found greatness within our own ranks."
He said he is not concerned with remarks by Wright about Dartmouth's being a research university. "I'm not the typical alum -- I'm not a Big Greener, but places have to change. Dartmouth has grown and matured and it will continue to do so. It's not just research for its own sake ... we'll have a wonderful balance of research and teaching."
Johnson lives in Vermont with his wife, Associate Director of Development Rita Johnson, and their daughter, currently a senior at Penn.
