UW Alumni Establish Business Career Center

Jan. 10, 2007 -- Peter and Paula Johnson of Salt Lake City, Utah, recently donated $1 million to endow a center at the University of Wyoming College of Business to help students prepare for careers.

Their gift, which will be matched by state funds, will create the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Business Career Center.

The center will provide career management services for UW’s business students, including career counseling, job search strategies and marketing and networking tools to assist students in launching their careers, says Brent Hathaway, dean of the College of Business.

College of Business personnel have created a staff position -- shared with UW’s Center for Advising and Career Services -- dedicated to working with students and potential employers. The college implemented career development initiatives such as a networking reception, resume roundup and alumni mentor program. The importance of the initiative took hold among the college’s executive committee and also with the College of Business Advisory Council, which Johnson serves as vice chairman.

In making their gift, Johnson says, “We are so proud to have the opportunity to give back to the university, and particularly to the College of Business. The placement process is an integral and important part of earning a business degree. We need to provide our business graduates the opportunity to start their professional careers on the right foot.”

Hathaway commended the Johnsons for their commitment to UW.

“These two extraordinary individuals give of their time, talent and treasure to benefit Wyoming’s university. While they live in Utah, their spirit and commitment has never left our state,” Hathaway says. “They provide sage counsel and leadership to the university on many fronts. I am truly honored and humbled to count them as friends of the college. The impact on our students will be significant.”

Johnson, a Lovell native, is president of Sinclair Oil Corporation. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, the corporation includes Little America Hotels and Resorts, three refineries (two in Wyoming), and 2,600 company and distributor-operated gasoline stations in 22 states.

He graduated with honors with a B.S. (1972) degree in finance from UW and continued his education at the University of Denver, earning a J.D. (1978) degree. He was named a College of Business distinguished alumnus in 2001.

Paula Green Johnson, a Laramie native, received a B.S. (1972) degree in speech pathology and audiology from UW. She chairs the UW National Ambassadors board, an outreach program for UW alumni and friends across the nation that enhances relationships and increases visibility of the university. She also is involved in many civic organizations.

The Johnsons also have endowed the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Family Scholarship to support business students from Wyoming. The couple has one son, Prescott, an attorney with Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C.

Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007