Admiral Jerry Johnson has been elected to the Board of Directors of Wärtsilä-Lips, Inc. as the Vice President, Business Development, and member of the Government Security Committee. Wärtsilä-Lips with offices in Chesapeake, VA and Poulsbo, Wash., is a leading manufacturer and supplier of propulsion equipment to the U.S. Navy.
A Texas native, Admiral Johnson attended Texas A & M University before entering the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Commissioned and designated a Naval Aviator in 1956, he served on active duty for 38 years. At sea he commanded Attack Squadron Twenty-seven (VA-27), the combat stores ship USS San Jose, the aircraft
carrier USS Coral Sea, Carrier Group Four, the U.S. Second Fleet, and NATO’s Striking Fleet Atlantic. His final assignment was as the Vice-Chief of Naval Operations. Before retiring, he also was the “Gray Eagle,” the longest-serving naval aviator on active duty.
In 1994 Johnson was s
elected President and Chief Executive Officer of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, a 99-year-old non-profit charitable organization that provides financial, educational, and other assistance to active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines, and their eligible family members. During 2002, the Society disbursed over $41 million in interest-free loans and grants in almost 52,000 financial-relief cases. Admiral Johnson retired from the Relief Society in September 2003.
Admiral Johnson also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), formerly The Retired Officers Association (TROA). He is MOAA’s 22nd Chairman in its 73-year history. Before becoming MOAA’s Chairman, Johnson served for four years on MOAA’s Board of Directors, as a member of the Investment and Insurance Committees and as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
The Admiral and his wife, Joy, reside in Fairfax, Virginia, and have three adult children, five grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.