BEMIDJI – Power couples exude just that: power.
These couples exist in many flavors, from entertainment to sports and even politics. Their influence can be beneficial for one sect of a population or stretch nationwide.
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And Bemidji has a power couple of its own: Ron and Carol L. Johnson, who have over 40 years of combined political experience under their belts and simply too many stories to share within one article.
Ron served on the Bemidji City Council for 24 years, from his election in 2000 through his final term ending in 2024. Meanwhile, Carol served on the Bemidji Area حلحلآ» Board of Education for 18 years from 2004 to 2022. Both dedicated a bulk of their time to the Bemidji community over the last two decades.
Ron, Bemidji born and raised, met Carol in 1980 while he was working as a fresh hire with Lakeland PBS installing a satellite dish on the Bemidji State University campus. Carol, from Fergus Falls, was attending BSU and was friends with Ron’s sister.
The pair hit it off well and were married in 1982.
They later became parents when their daughter, Jennifer, was born in the early 1990s. After settling into the newly formed family life, the pair began searching for ways to serve the community that meant so much to them.
Ron joined different commissions in the late 1990s and decided to run for city council in 2000. Carol was involved in different musical communities as a musician herself. She later seized an opportunity to join the school board in 2004 after noticing a two-year seat available.
“We had just had such a wonderful experience with the school district,†Carol said of their experience raising Jennifer in Bemidji schools. “I thought, â€کI'm going to run for a two-year position, and I'm going to see if I like the board and if the board likes me.’ And it turned out to be yes in both scenarios. I ran and I guess I never looked back. I just enjoyed it.â€
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Ron felt similarly about his spot on the council, citing how much he’d miss his appointments on the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, which Ron also served as the sole Bemidji president of both boards.
“I’m going to miss the airport commission, the Regional Development Commission,†he added. “Those are the committees I’ll really miss. The day-to-day stuff of the council, that was fun and that was good.â€
If it were up to them, the pair would still be in office today.
In 2022, Carol lost her reelection bid on the school board and lost a subsequent bid for the board in 2024.
“After 18 years of being on the board, to lose was very disheartening,†Carol said.
Similarly, Ron was unable to secure a spot on the council in the 2024 general election after being redistricted out of his Ward 3 seat and placed into Ward 1.
He launched two separate campaigns to stay in office but lost both, one in 2022 for the At-Large seat and another in 2024 for the Ward 1 seat, ending his tenure with the council
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Neither Ron nor Carol has ruled out a potential bid for office in the future, but for now, they’re ready to enjoy some free time together for the first time in decades.
Carol said they will be spending as much of their newfound free time as they can at their lake cabin in Fergus Falls.
“This is going to make that a little easier this year,†Ron added. “(We have) a little more leisure time; maybe we’ll take two trips and we can maybe spend a little more time down there.â€
Family and music
The Johnsons are not only known for their individual, illustrious careers in public service. They also share a passion for music, which guided each of them toward their eventual careers.
Carol is a piano teacher in her spare time and has cemented her spot in the local music scene as the Treasurer for the Bemidji Area Church Musicians, Co-Director of the First City Handbell Choir, accompanist for the Bemidji Community Theater and First City Singers, and clarinetist for the Bemidji Area Community Band.
In fact, Carol’s very first connection with the school district was when she was asked to accompany the chorus at her daughter’s middle school.
Ron has a shared appreciation for music and spent much of his career with Lakeland PBS attracting musical talent to the area with names like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and the likes.آ
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This was one of the reasons Ron decided to run for the council: he saw a need for a community event center, thus leading to the construction of what would become the Sanford Center nine years into his tenure on the council.
While the Johnsons may not have passed on their interest in politics to their daughter, she did inherit their passion for music, which in turn led her to earn a musical degree.
“I remember a time we were sitting at the lunch table and Jennifer says, â€کWell, what is tonight's topic? Local Government Aid or Q Comp?’†Ron said with a laugh. “We (decided we) better give her a night when she could talk about show choir or something.â€
Both of the Johnsons were able to share special moments with their daughter while serving in their respective roles.
In 2009, Carol stood on stage during Bemidji High حلحلآ»â€™s graduation ceremony in anticipation of handing her own daughter a diploma.
“You always say graduation is one of the highlights of the year,†Ron remarked.
“It is,†Carol answered. “It has been very rewarding through the years to get those pictures back in the mail from kids, or go to their grad party and there's a picture of me giving them their diploma. It means a lot to me and those families.â€
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In 2023, Ron spoke as president of the League of Minnesota Cities during Legislative Day on the Hill in St. Paul. After his speech, Jennifer took to the stage to perform as a musical guest, singing and playing her guitar.
Despite having no interest in serving via politics, Jennifer recently reached out to let her parents know that she became the secretary of her local arts board. Ron joked, “That's how it starts out. I was on a fair board for 10 years (before joining the council).â€
Music and family have surrounded the Johnsons throughout the entirety of their careers, alongside an understanding environment that allowed them to flourish.
“We have both been very fortunate to have supportive family, supportive friends, supportive employers,†Carol said. “I worked at Ken K. Thompson Jewelry for 37 years and I was on the school board 16 of those years. (They) were so supportive.â€
Ron worked at Lakeland PBS for 43 years, retiring in 2023, and shared the same level of support.
Dedicated servants
Over the years, the Johnsons have worked with a plethora of people in the community and served their time with other well-respected Bemidji servants.
Carol spent the entirety of her term with Ann Long Voelkner, who was elected alongside Carol in 2004 and still serves on the board today.
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“I very much appreciated (Carol’s) service to the school district, to the students and to the staff and teachers,†Long Voelkner said. “She spent an incredible amount of time learning about issues and talking to a variety of people within the district with the intent of making decisions that supported the public schools.â€
Carol served with both Long Voelkner and Jeff Haack to form the which serves as a tool to raise money for teachers so they can take students on field trips, provide in-classroom tools and fund projects, among other things. Carol is still a member of the Bemidji 31 board and holds it in high regard.
“Carol's hometown of Fergus Falls had a very active and successful educational foundation and she brought her experiences, passion and perspectives from her hometown foundation to the group,†Haack said. “Carol has been at nearly every meeting over the last six years. To date, we have funded 83 projects over six years or a total of $83,000.â€
On the other hand, Ron spent 17 years of his council career serving alongside Nancy Erickson before she stepped down in 2021 due to medical reasons.
“He was faithful to the position. He knew what needed to be done to best serve the public and he did it,†Erickson said of Ron. “I enjoyed very much working with him. (He is an) excellent public servant. He's going to be missed on the council.â€
Ron spent his final four years serving the council alongside Mayor Jorge Prince, noting that the two worked very well together.
“I really did enjoy my time serving with council member Johnson,†Prince said. “I always felt a little bad for him because we had five new council members come on the council pretty much all at the same time. As a new mayor, I really leaned heavily on him and also Nancy Erickson as the most seasoned, knowledgeable council members.â€
Prince also commented on his overall appreciation for the mentorship Ron has provided over the last few years.
“Here I am, four years later, and I'm a board member of the League of Minnesota Cities,†Prince added. “I don't think that happens without Ron Johnson opening those doors. So both in our chambers and as a representative of our community, I don't think you could ask for anyone better.â€
While Ron and Carol adapt to their board and council-free life, the pair emphasized their appreciation for the community that gave them a wonderful lifestyle.
“I've been able to visit practically every town in Minnesota … because I got involved,†Ron remarked.
“I was very fortunate when I look back on all the people that I served with,†Carol said. “They were dedicated board members and we worked hard. We were there to support our schools. We were there to support administration, we were there to support our students to give them the best education that we could and it was just tremendous.â€
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