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Hill veteran
Dana Johnson has spent practically her whole professional
career on Capitol Hill.
- She's worked in New Jersey.
She also lists upstate New York and Orlando, Fla., on her resume.
The only thing is, while Dana Johnson may have technically "worked"
in those locales, she certainly couldn't call those locations home.
Instead Johnson says Washington, D.C. has been her home since 1994.
"I really don't know how to make a living otherwise," said Johnson,
a 1992 Iowa State graduate in political science. "Since 9-11, my
mom has asked when I'm coming back (to the Midwest). But I can't imagine
working anyplace else.
"I have always known I was going to do this type of work."
Johnson first came to the nation's capitol as a staff member for the U.S.
Senate Committee that Missouri Sen. John Danforth chaired. She worked
for two years in that position before taking a job with U.S. Representative
Bill Martini of New Jersey.
Even now Johnson says that might not have been the right move. But she
was pleased with her decision to move from the Senate to the House of
Representatives.
"After 1994 all of the action was taking place in the House after
the Republicans took control under the Contract for America," she
said. All the fun and action was over there in the House, instead of the
Senate.
"I thought why not go work for a vulnerable, first-term Republican
in New Jersey," she continued.
Despite spending $1.5 million on a re-election campaign, Martini failed
to secure a second term in the House.
But Johnson soon bounced back on her feet. She joined the staff of Congressman
John McHugh (R-N.Y.) in 1997 as his press secretary.
For six years, Johnson stayed with McHugh and was eventually promoted
to assistant chief of staff. She also served as his political advisor,
helping McHugh to victories in three consecutive re-election campaigns.
In 2002, Johnson was McHugh's campaign manager and led his redistricting
planning efforts, helping him maintain his seat while two other New York
incumbents were defeated during the once-in-a-decade Congressional reapportionment
process.
But Johnson eventually wanted a new challenge.
So in August 2003, she switched jobs, taking a position as chief of staff
to Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.). Now instead of working for a Congressman
whose district is typically rural, Johnson switches her focus to Keller,
whose district mainly encompasses Orlando.
"I guess you can say I'm working my way up the Congressional ladder,"
Johnson said.
The job and boss switch was done for a variety of reasons.
"This is a fresh challenge for me,' Johnson said. "I'm also
getting to be the top decision maker in the office and have the opportunity
to move Ric Keller's agenda forward."
And while Johnson enjoyed working for McHugh, she says the opportunity
to work with Keller, a rising star in the Republication Party, was too
good to pass up."
"Ric is 39 years old and he has designs on other positions,"
she said. "It was attractive to me to work for someone who is young
and politically ambitious.
"I also liked the fact that Ric only engages in issues that he feels
strongly about and feels like he can make a difference."
One of those issues is higher education, which Johnson says is Keller's
top priority.
It helps, Johnson says, to philosophically agree with your boss, but it's
not essential.
"At the end of the day it's their name that is on the door and on
the ballot," she said. "As a political advisor, you obviously
counsel them and of course, you will bring your own political views to
the discussion.
"A lot of times though I have to put my views on the shelf and remember
that he is the Congressman."
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Dana Johnson
Around LAS Alumni
Winter 2004
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