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Billionaire’s row: A deep look at the potential bidders for the Carolina Panthers

Three leading candidates have emerged to buy the Carolina Panthers: (from left) hedge fund...

CHARLOTTE, NC (Joseph Person, Katherine Peralta and Rick Rothacker/Charlotte Observer) - As crunch time approaches for the sale of the Carolina Panthers, bidders ranging from a hedge fund manager to a financial services CEO to an internet entrepreneur have emerged as leading candidates.

The potential owners also have strong sports pedigrees, including stakes in other sports teams, and deep family roots.

So far, three names have surfaced as likely bidders – Charleston businessman Ben Navarro, Philadelphia e-commerce innovator Michael Rubin and Miami hedge fund manager David Tepper – but it's not clear if any other will surface. Charlotte businessman Felix Sabates has spearheaded a potential local ownership group, but a source said he might look at partnering with another bidder.

The potential owners themselves are bound by non-disclosure agreements, but sources around them, all of whom requested anonymity because of the confidential nature of the bidding process, have been working to polish their images. The winner first needs the approval of current owner Jerry Richardson, followed by three-fourths of NFL owners. Sources indicated that none of the three would look to move the team from Charlotte.

Here's a deeper look at the three leading bidders known so far:

Ben Navarro: Charleston financier

When he was an undergraduate at Rhode Island in the early '80s, Ben Navarro waited tables to help pay for school before coming up with another money-making idea.

Navarro began approaching local businesses about a VIP card that would offer discounts to students, who would pay Navarro a fee for use of the card.

The college venture served as something of a model for Navarro, who followed a Wall Street career with the 1997 launch of a consumer finance company that is now ninth-largest in active Visa/Mastercard credit card accounts, according to industry publication The Nilson Report. The privately held Sherman Financial Group includes other financial operations such as a business that purchases and manages consumer debt.

Navarro, who lives in Charleston, S.C., with his wife and four children, is a private person who has tried to avoid the spotlight while growing his fortune and establishing schools for underprivileged students.

He also has a football background that can be traced to his childhood in New England. His father, Frank, was a longtime college football coach who had stops at a pair of Ivy League schools and instilled in his eight children a strong work ethic, according to a source close to the Navarro family.

He moved to Charleston in 2004, and a year later Sherman Financial expanded by buying the company now known as Credit One Bank, which specializes in serving borrowers on the low-end of the credit spectrum.

For the first time last year, Credit One was big enough to be included in J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey. It did not fare well, finishing in last place with a score of 735 out of 1,000.

The company's poor showing partially stemmed from its business model, which focuses on lower credit-quality customers while most of the industry battles for affluent customers, said Jim Miller, vice president of the banking and credit card practice at J.D. Power. "Higher spenders that can pay off their balance tend to have higher satisfaction because you reap all the rewards and benefits, and you don't pay late fees or anything like that," Miller said.

Navarro and his six brothers – he also has a sister – spent a lot of time filling water bottles and inflating footballs during their father's various coaching stints. When the family would rent a beach cottage every summer, Frank Navarro required his children to take jobs painting houses, cutting lawns – even fishing golf balls out of ponds on area courses and re-selling them.

But football remained a unifying force for the Navarro family.

Ben Navarro, 55, was born in Williamstown, Mass., where his father was the coach at Williams College, and graduated from Princeton (N.J.) High when his dad was compiling an 18-17-3 record in four seasons coaching the Tigers in the Ivy League.

In between were stops at Columbia and Wabash (Ind.) College.

Ben Navarro, who played football and wrestled in high school, is a fitness buff who's run more than a dozen marathons, including Boston. His daughter, Emma, is a high school sophomore who has committed to Duke for tennis and is the No. 1 ranked junior girls player in the South.

Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $3 billion, in 2008 started Meeting Street Schools, an education nonprofit consisting of three schools in Charleston and Spartanburg geared toward low-income, minority students who pay low tuition costs.

The elementary schools – two of which are public-private partnerships – feature a longer school day, dental and vision screenings and higher salaries for high-performing teachers, according to the Meeting Street web site.

George Dean Johnson, a prominent South Carolina businessman, provided the capital for Navarro to open the Spartanburg school in 2012. Johnson – who was with the Blockbuster video chain when its owner, Wayne Huizenga, bought the Miami Dolphins in 1994 – praised Navarro's vision in business and education.

"He is a gifted business person. But his greatest gift is his interest in children. He's changing lives," Johnson said.

Navarro did not know Richardson before deciding to bid on the Panthers. But sources say he likes how the Panthers have catered to both North and South Carolina since their inception, and is a proponent of keeping an open-air stadium in uptown.

Michael Rubin: Philadelphia entrepreneur

When Michael Rubin's friend, Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, faced a possible lengthy sentence over a probation violation, Rubin wrote a heartfelt letter to the judge, urging a lenient sentence.

"He not only has a bright future but also a unique opportunity to inspire young men at a time when others are tearing them down," Rubin, the owner of the Fanatics sports merchandise retailer and a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, wrote of the friend he met at an NBA All-Star Game.

The judge in November sentenced Mill to two to four years in prison , sparking outrage among his defenders, including major sports figures in Philadelphia. While acknowledging mistakes Meek Mill has made, Rubin, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, has continued to speak out for his friend.

"We come from different worlds, this stuff doesn't happen in my world," Rubin told Sports Illustrated . "It happens in his world, and that's unacceptable."

If the 45-year-old should prevail in acquiring the Panthers, the NFL would be adding someone who doesn't fit the mold of the stereotypical silver-haired billionaire.

"He brings a different perspective," an NFL ownership source told the Observer.

Rubin's entrepreneurial career began at a young age when he began selling stationery door-to-door, according to the bio on his company's web site. By age 13, he was running a ski shop at the local mall. He went to Villanova University for one year, but then left to focus on his business endeavors, founding a company called KPR Sports, a distributor of off-brand sporting goods and footwear that later became GSI Commerce.

"I've loved business since I've been a little boy," he said in an appearance on the CBS reality TV show "Undercover Boss." "It's always been in my DNA."

As for what motivates him, he added: "Business made me a winner. That's what drives me."

In 2011, Rubin, who has an 11-year-old daughter and still lives in the Philadelphia area, sold GSI to eBay for $2.4 billion, raising his business profile and his net worth, estimated now at about $3 billion. He now runs a private company called Kynetic, which holds three Internet-related businesses: Fanatics, Rue La La and ShopRunner.

Fanatics stands out because of its business model: The company manufactures its merchandise as well as selling it online, meaning the company can quickly ship out championship T-shirts after a big game.

Besides selling its merchandise at its own site, the business also partners with various sports leagues, including the NFL, to run their e-commerce stores. Last year, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group led a $1 billion investment in Fanatics through its technology investment fund, giving the company a total valuation of $4.5 billion . The NFL was one of the investors in the deal.

A Fanatics investor who did not want his name used said Rubin would bring the same kind of creative spirit to an NFL team that he has shown in e-commerce. "I don't think anybody else can bring the same level of digital innovation to the table," he said, adding that Rubin "is a huge fan of the sport."

Sources have said that Rubin has lined up a key partner in his bid, Joseph Tsai, the minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets who co-founded Alibaba Group, China's version of Amazon. Sources said he could potentially add other partners, including NBA star Steph Curry and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs , but one source said Tsai is the only partner confirmed so far.

Adding the latter partners would bring diversity to the bid, but could also draw criticism from some fans. Curry and Combs have been supportive of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who spurred a controversy that roiled the league last season over players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustice.

In his role as a 76ers minority owner, Rubin has shown that he has a strong rapport with the team's players, including star Joel Embiid.

"That's my guy so looks like I might have to switch sports," Embiid wrote in an Instagram post after Rubin's interest in the Panthers surfaced. " @CameronNewton you need a wide receiver?"

David Tepper: Florida hedge fund manager

David Tepper, perhaps the least camera shy of all the possible bidders so far, came from a humble upbringing in Pittsburgh.

The middle of three kids, Tepper was raised in a Jewish household in a lower middle class neighborhood. He helped pay his way through the University of Pittsburgh by stacking books at a fine arts library on campus.

Sources close to Tepper, now 60, say he has always been good with numbers, which is why he majored in economics at Pittsburgh. After college, Tepper worked as a credit and securities analyst at Equibank in Pittsburgh before going on to get his MBA at Carnegie Mellon. The private research university's business school now bears Tepper's name, thanks to a $55 million gift from the billionaire in 2004.

"David Tepper is a visionary, both as a businessman and a philanthropist, and we are grateful for his generous support," former CMU President Subra Suresh said after Tepper donated another $67 million to the school in 2013.

Tepper worked on Wall Street as a junk bonds analyst, then later was hired by Goldman Sachs, but left when he was passed up for partner . Tepper launched his hedge fund, Appaloosa Management, in 1993, and has grown the firm into a behemoth that now has $17 billion in assets under management.

Tepper moved Appaloosa from New Jersey to Miami in 2016 in order to be closer to his mother, sources close to the businessman have said. Others say it is because Florida has no personal income tax. Either way, the move triggered budget concerns by New Jersey lawmakers, according to Bloomberg .

Tepper has always been a sports fan. As a kid, he could recite the statistics of Major League Baseball players, according to a 2012 book called "The Alpha Masters," which profiles the world's top hedge fund managers.

In 2009, Tepper bought a 5 percent stake in the Steelers, his hometown team. That investment is now worth $122.5 million, based on Forbes' current valuation of the Steelers ($2.45 billion.) Per NFL rules, Tepper would have to sell his stake in the Steelers should he wind up the winning bidder of the Panthers.

When asked about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL's response to domestic violence during a 2014 interview with Bloomberg TV, Tepper expressed sympathy with assault victims and said the league's response has been "a little bit disappointing."

According to Forbes, Tepper has a net worth of $11 billion, making him the richest of all of the serious bidders. Unlike the other prospective owners, Tepper could likely afford to buy the team outright on his own. It is unclear whether he is working with any partners on a deal.

A source familiar with Tepper's businesses recently said he has "more money than God." In 2011, Tepper, a father of three, bought a $43.5 million oceanfront mansion in the Hamptons that used to belong to former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, only to tear it down to build a new one twice its size on the property, according to multiple reports.

Tepper has remained active in the charitable organizations he heads in the various places he's planted roots, including Pittsburgh, Miami and New Jersey. In Miami and other affected areas last year, for instance, Tepper partnered with Feeding America to donate $3 million in food and other goods after Hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey.

A source who knows Tepper said if he were to come to Charlotte, "you should assume that (philanthropy) would continue."

Tepper donated $250,000 toward a new sea lion exhibit at New Jersey's Turtle Back Zoo in 2012. A plaque commemorating the donation sits in the billionaire's Appaloosa office, which according to a 2009 New York Magazine profile , resembles a "high-end sports bar," full of Steelers paraphernalia. Next to the zoo plaque is a pair of brass testicles, reportedly a gift from a former employee who was impressed with a 148-percent climb in Appaloosa stock in 2003.

The brass genitalia has stirred controversy as Tepper's name was reported as a possible bidder for the Panthers, a team put up for sale by an owner accused of workplace sexual harassment. The metallic memento remains in its place, however.

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All in the Family

Trevor anderson.

June 30, 2016

Geordy Johnson came home to become CEO of his family business, and continue his parents’ passion for improving quality of life in Spartanburg

With his side-swept blond hair, polished suit and genuine smile, George Dean “Geordy” Johnson III is a symbol of the new Spartanburg.

As he walks down the hallway of Johnson Development’s headquarters in downtown, the 33-year-old CEO sees Southern paintings from his family’s collection on one side and the offices for his team members on the other.

The blend of commerce and culture embodies the revitalization of the community and its path forward.

“That’s the amazing thing about Spartanburg,” Johnson said. “At any age you can play a dynamic civic role, and we’re starting to see that more and more. Our citizens, whether they’re from here or transplants from other communities, are stepping up and doing the things that they’re passionate about.”

Johnson is the son of local businessman George Dean Johnson Jr. — namesake of USC Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. School of Business, aka “The George” — and philanthropist Susan “Susu” Phifer Johnson.

At 6 feet 3 inches tall, he has his father’s height and business acumen, as well as the sense of social responsibility and love of Spartanburg shared by both his parents.

“To have a meaningful life, whatever you do, your focus has to be more on helping people,” Johnson said.

On and off the road

Johnson graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2001. After graduating, he left the city to pursue his bachelor’s degree at Washington and Lee University.

While he was an undergraduate, he interned at Allen & Co., a New York City private investment bank.

Johnson went to work for Wachovia Capital Markets, which is now Wells Fargo Securities, in 2005 as an analyst for the company’s defense and aerospace corporate finance group.

In 2007, he joined the commercial real estate firm Black Creek Group as an associate. The job allowed him to live in Denver and Mexico City.

A year later, Johnson returned to Spartanburg to work as an associate at Johnson Management, the parent company of Johnson Development, OTO Development, American Credit Acceptance, JDA West, WJ Partners and The Haven Apartment Communities.

He left Spartanburg again in 2011 to earn his MBA with a concentration in real estate and entrepreneurship from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

That summer, he worked for BlackRock, an asset management firm in Charlotte, N.C.

He went to work in 2013 for AvalonBay Communities in Washington, D.C.

In 2014, he and his wife, Carter, who is from Charleston, were engaged. The couple decided to begin seeking a place to plant their roots, and Spartanburg topped the list.

Growing the family business

Johnson became the chief executive of Johnson Development in March 2015. He also serves as president of Johnson Management.

Under his leadership, the company has begun marketing Flatwood Industrial Park, a business park on more than 1,400 acres of farmland north of Business 85 between Parris Bridge Road and Highway 221. The company said the site has the potential to support about 9 million square feet of speculative and build-to-suit facilities, plus thousands of jobs.

Pennsylvania-based drugstore chain Rite Aid recently opened its $90 million, 900,000-square-foot distribution center that employs 600 at the park.

Johnson said his company is building a nearly 363,000-square-foot spec building next to Rite Aid.

Johnson Management’s affiliated companies employ thousands in Spartanburg. Hundreds more work for the companies his father brought to Spartanburg, including Pure Barre and Advance America.

OTO Development is building the $20 million, 10-story AC Hotel by Marriott at the corner of West Main Street and Daniel Morgan Avenue. The anticipated completion of that project is 2018.

Poised for success

Johnson said several other developments across the county have the potential to reshape the community in the coming years.

His shortlist includes the Hub City Co-op, the state’s first cooperatively owned grocery store that opened in April in downtown.

“Yes, we need white-collar jobs,” he said. “But we also need the housing to support that and the amenities to support those who choose to live in downtown.”

Johnson said he is excited about the proposed renovation of the historic Montgomery Building at the corner of St. John and Church streets.

The completion of several residential projects, as well as the opening and announcement of new retail and dining options, are signs of progress, he said.

Beyond downtown, Johnson said he has been encouraged by the referendum in Spartanburg School District 7 that will allow for construction of a new Spartanburg High School and an elementary school in the Drayton community.

The county’s decision to share tax revenue generated from economic development between the seven school districts is also a positive.

He believes Spartanburg is poised for success in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.

“I think we’re going to be very competitive. We have a great workforce and excellent leadership. We have access to two major interstates and great proximity to the airport and inland port. We’re close to Atlanta and Charlotte … It’s an exciting time to be in Spartanburg.”

But Johnson said the county must still focus on attracting “knowledge-based” white-collar jobs.

He said growth in Spartanburg’s cultural and artistic communities has been nothing short of remarkable.

“[Living abroad] gives you a huge appreciation for some of the things that are often taken for granted in Spartanburg,” Johnson said. “We have a great quality of life, great schools and great people.”

Local leaders have expressed their admiration for Johnson and excitement for his decision to remain in Spartanburg.

“I’ve known Geordy since I coached him in tee-ball,” said County Councilman David Britt. “I’ve seen him grow far beyond his age; the maturation of someone who is going to be a leader cut from the same cloth as his parents, who are all about improving the quality of life of the community. He is emblematic of what the new Spartanburg is all about: giving back and making this a better place to live, work and play.”

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Boat Reviews

Boat Review: Dean Johnson 57

By Dean Travis Clarke
Updated: January 24, 2009

0109br_dean368

At 5 a.m., I stood in the cockpit of the newest Dean Johnson, a sleek 57-footer, as the crew scurried to make ready for sea. Capt. Josh Temple – not known for infinite patience – suddenly screamed through the darkness from the flybridge, “Why the *&%# are we still tied to the dock?” One minute later we started motoring out of the new Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, on our way to challenge huge yellowfin tuna and hopefully catch my first black marlin.

Engine Room This 57 carries plenty of Caterpillar power, consisting of twin C18s rated at 1,000 hp each, as well as a Caterpillar generator on the forward bulkhead. And thankfully, you’ll find the crash-pump valves immediately at hand when you enter the compartment – just as they should be. I’ve never understood builders who put them all the way at the forward end of an engine room.

Large people will find the engine-room access tight, down a short, very vertical ladder. Heading aft from the cockpit hatch, a fairly spacious tunnel opens up, leading all the way aft to the steering quadrant.

Cockpit The mezzanine fish box has two hatches but is one box. You can request lots of other insulated boxes and storage places here too. I did enjoy one concession to modernity, however: A row of ports dump welcomed air conditioning onto the occupants of the mezzanine seats.

One feature setting this boat apart from many others is four 1 hp Jacuzzi pumps used to feed the tuna tubes, the livewell and saltwater washdown hoses. Each individual pump is capable of running the entire system. Interestingly, there are no hatches in the cockpit sole, and all game-fish catches go into an insulated stainless box incorporated into the mezzanine.

Flybridge I found the climb up the ladder to the flybridge to be very vertical, and the hatch prevents you from grabbing a rail or flybridge coaming to help the climb. Certainly, you can hold onto the hatch itself, but that relies completely on a small spring latch that holds it open. But that’s a small issue. Functionally, you won’t find a better layout. From the wheel you can see the forward two-thirds of the bow and the cockpit from the rod holders on the back of the fighting chair aft. I also appreciated the ability to move around, behind and between the helm and companion seating without disturbing the occupants of either.

Performance At 600 rpm on one engine, the Johnson idled along at 6 knots. With both in gear, she idles at 8. But Temple does a ton of live-bait fishing and uses the ZF trolling valves to dial the Johnson back to a barely measurable creep, with zero turbulence behind the transom.

Temple regularly cruises the 57 at 30 knots, turning 1,850 rpms and burning a relatively modest 68 gph. At her top speed of 37 knots, the 57-footer burns 100 gph at 2,250 rpms. Let’s just put it this way: If you push the throttles forward while at cruise, the acceleration will plumb walk you backward if you aren’t holding on.

The Dean Johnson 57 handles seas extremely well on all points. With an 18-knot wind abeam, we stayed bone-dry on the open flybridge through a complete day’s fishing.

Overall, the Johnson 57 qualifies as a most capable custom fishing boat. Luxury yacht quality? Perhaps not. Totally functional? Without question. Temple says, “I’ve been at the helm of a lot of boats with the pressure on – in tournament fishing situations to outrunning hurricanes – and we’ve won every tournament we’ve fished on this boat. And she’s brought us home through some truly biblical weather.” Mr. Johnson understands what big-game captains and serious fishermen demand. This 57 is living proof of that! – Dean Travis Clarke

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA…… 57′ **BEAM…… 16’6″ DRAFT…… 4′ WEIGHT…… 50,000 pounds POWER…… T 1,000 hp CAT C18 diesels DEADRISE…… 8 degrees FUEL…… 1,000 gallons WATER…… 200 gallons PRICE…… On request**

Dean Johnson Boatworks / Wanchese, North Carolina / 252-473-5018 / [email protected]

More: Boat Reviews , Sport Fishing Boats

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DISTINCTLY JOHNSON

Knowitall.org

George Dean Johnson, Jr. | Legacy of Leadership Profile

George dean johnson, jr., (born july 22, 1942).

George Dean Johnson, a man of immense talent and versatility—former practicing attorney, legislator, State Development Board chairman, state Chamber of Commerce president—is one of the nation's most successful entrepreneurs.

George Dean Johnson, Jr., was born July 22, 1942, in Spartanburg, the eldest of three sons of the late Dr. George Dean and Betty Heath Johnson. He has two brothers, Stewart H. and Edwin W. "Ned" Johnson II.

He graduated from Spartanburg High School, received a degree in history from Wofford College in 1964 and a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1967.

He joined the law firm of his uncle, Edwin W. Johnson, and Milton Smith in 1967, and practiced law until 1986, when he devoted full time to his business interests.

Johnson served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives, from 1969 through 1974, and enjoys the distinction of having been elected as an independent, as a Democrat, and as a Republican.

From 1974 to 1978, he served as chairman of the State Development Board, an appointee of Governor John West, with successor Governor James Edwards' endorsement.

One of Johnson's earliest business investment opportunities was Morgan Corporation, a grading contracting business owned by Ladson Morgan, who was hired to build a lake on 1,100 acres the Johnson brothers and their father owned.

Because of his health, Morgan was forced to sell his business, and George and Stewart Johnson bought it in 1971. Today, Stewart Johnson operates Morgan Corporation, one of the largest grading companies in the Southeast.

Three years later, with borrowed capital, the brothers established Johnson Waste to compete with Waste Management Incorporated for the refuse collection and disposal business in the Upstate. In 1978, Waste Management bought Johnson Waste, and Wayne Huizenga and Dean Buntrock, Waste Management partners, and the Johnsons have been good friends ever since.

While practicing law, Johnson was involved in numerous business activities, including the establishment of Morgan State Bank and the development of Carolina Country Club.

Johnson is chairman of Johnson Development Associates, which controls four million square feet of industrial office and retail space in the Carolinas. He is chairman of Advance America Cash Advance Centers, which has more than 700 branches nationwide, and he is managing general partner of American Storage Limited, a chain of 26 mini-warehouses.

When efforts were being made to lure BMW Corporation to South Carolina, Johnson & Associates spent several months obtaining options on the properties that made up the 1,200-acre site, at no charge to the state.

In 1982, Johnson served as president of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and from 1984 to 1985 was a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

In 1985, Wayne Huizenga and two associates bought Blockbuster Video, an 18-store chain, as a franchising opportunity. Johnson, Dean Buntrock, and the late Craig Wall, Jr., of Conway formed WJB Video and acquired Blockbuster franchise rights for the Carolinas, most of Georgia, and Virginia.

As WJB managing partner, and operating from the Johnson & Associates offices in Spartanburg, Johnson began building stores, which eventually numbered 208. WJB Video was Blockbuster's largest franchisee.

WJB merged with Blockbuster in 1993, and Johnson and his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he served as a Blockbuster division president and board member. The following year, Viacom, Inc., bought Blockbuster for $8.4 billion.

In Fort Lauderdale, prior to Blockbuster's sale to Viacom, Johnson developed the concept for Extended Stay America, where guests would represent a wide spectrum of business and personal travelers searching for high-quality, affordable lodging on the road.

Wayne Huizenga liked the idea and became a major investor and chairman of the Extended Stay board, with Johnson the president and chief executive officer.

The first hotel opened in August 1995 in Spartanburg, and the company went public in December 1995. In April 1999, the company owned 335 hotels in 38 states, with others under construction and additional sites under option.

Johnson is a director of Extended Stay America, AutoNation, Inc., Florida Panthers Holdings, Inc., Duke Energy Corporation, William Barnet & Son, Inc., and Morgan Corporation, Inc.

On May 24, 1980, he married Susan "Susu" Phifer, the daughter of Dr. Edward W. and Mary Adair Phifer of Morganton, North Carolina. They had met when Susan Phifer was a student at Converse College and Johnson was at Wofford. They are the parents of a son, George D. Johnson III, and a daughter, Susanna Presnell Johnson.

Johnson and his wife, a former member of the Spartanburg City Council, were active in the Spartanburg community before they moved to Fort Lauderdale, and continue to support the community and their alma maters.

They contributed $1.5 million to Wofford to endow a visiting professorship in history and donated $15 million to Converse as a matching gift. Johnson is a member and former chairman of the Converse College Board of Trustees.

The Johnsons are members of the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Spartanburg and attended All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale. They returned to Spartanburg in the summer of 1999.

Johnson was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1999.

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New Listing! 57′ Dean Johnson

September 5, 2018

Wayne’s World is a fine example of a modern, great riding, jig-built Carolina sportfish. This C-18 powered tournament boat will compete against the best and is ready for her next owner!

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DEAN JOHNSON

Triple 7 - dean johnson.

Specifications

All Specifications
Detailed Information

Basic Information

Builder: DEAN JOHNSON Category: Sport Fisherman Model Year: 2004 Year Built: 2004 Country: United States

LOA: 57' 0" (17.37m) Beam: 16' 11" (5.16m) Min Draft: 4' 6" (1.37m)

Speed, Capacities and Weight

Fuel Capacity: 1200 Gallons

Accommodations

Hull and deck information.

Hull Material: Wood

Engine Information

Manufacturer: CAT Model: C-18

The button actuated centerline electric salon door opens into the spacious salon with an open layout. To port is a large L shaped seat finished in Ultraleather. To starboard is a Corian countertop, with 4 drawers below. Forward of the counter is a built in Ultraleather finished loveseat.

The galley is to port, forward of the salon, and features a slide out refrigerator and freezer, new Corian countertops and a 2 burner glass cooktop. To the starboard side of the salon is the dinette, which is also covered in Ultraleather, with a teak inlaid dining table. A new Samsung LED television is on the starboard side bulkhead, just forward of the dinette. A new In-Command AV system with surround sound finishes off the salon.

A few steps down the companionway (which were just added with storage underneath) to starboard is a full guest head, with a roomy enclosed shower. Forward of the head to starboard is a set of over/under bunks, with custom fitted bedspreads And a new Samsung LED television.

To the port side down below is the tastefully appointed master stateroom with a full size bed, hanging locker, new Samsung LED television and ample storage. The private in-suite master head is in the forward portion of the master stateroom, with a Corian countertop and a large enclosed shower.

In the forward section of the boat, a newly built VIP over/under layout bed system has been installed with custom bed coverings and a new Samsung television.

L-shaped Ultraleather sofa with storage underneath to port
Ultraleather loveseat to starboard with storage underneath
4 drawer credenza to starboard with Corian countertop
Crusair A/C
Electric sliding salon door
LED lighting under couches and valances
New Samsung LED television
New Control 4 IN Command Series integrated network AV receiver with 4 zone amplifier and Denon receiver
New rope lighting
New Corian countertops with built in trash receptacle
New U-line refrigerator and freezer under counter drawers
New GE 2 burner radiant electric cooktop
Whirlpool Gold convection/microwave oven
Elkay stainless steel sink with Delta faucet
Teak and holly sole
New galley cabinets with ample storage

Master Stateroom

Queen size bed with storage below
Crusair A/C
Overhead cabinets
Hanging locker
Nightstand with drawers and Corian countertop
Access to private en-suite head

Master Head

Raritan head system
New Corian Countertop
Mirrored medicine cabinet
Stall shower
Exhaust fan
New mirrored ceiling
New teak cockpit
New teak International fighting chair with rocket launcher backrest and bolt less pedestal
New mezzanine seating with refrigerated stainless boxes and electric built in grill and custom cushions
Dual 50 amp shore power inlets
Freshwater washdown
Saltwater washdown
Eskimo icemaker
Cockpit LED lighting
Cockpit speakers
Teak covering boards
8 Rodholders in covering boards
6 clearing Rodholders
Stainless lined transom fishbox
Freshwater dockside water inlet
Stainless steel lined drink box

Bridge & Helm

L shaped seating in front of console with new cushions
Helm pod with single lever electronic controls and Hynautic steering
2 new International Chairs teak ladderback helm chairs with teak footrests and bottles pedestals
3 sided enclosure with EZ2CY front curtains
Starboard seating fore to aft
6 rod rocket launcher on aft bridge rail
Recessed electronics boxes
Teaser reel pocket in hardtop with 2 each US-9 electric teaser reels
Freshwater spigot

Engines & Gears

CAT C-18 1000hp engines with 5,344 hours
ZF ZF500A 1.75 to 1 ratio gears

Forward Guest Stateroom

VIP bunk layout over/under
Custom bed coverings
Corian countertop
Overhead hatch
Access to anchor locker
Twin upper lower bunks
Custom fitted bed covers
New Samsung LED Television
New Corian countertop

Electronics & Navigation

New Garmin 741xs GPS Map
Furuno NavNet w/radar
Simrad Robertson AP20 Autopilot
Standard Horizon VHF radio
Simrad plotter/bottom machine
Furuno RD 30 Depth/speed/temp
Remote mounted VHF speaker in teaser reel box
CAT computer engine monitors
ACR remote control spotlight
Ritchie powerdamp compass
ZF electronic engine controls
Fireboy fire system control
KVH SAT dome

Hull & Deck

Cold molded hull construction
New silver hull paint
Teak eyebrow accent
New Custom anchor locker on foredeck
Rupp Triple spreader outriggers
Rupp center rigger
Freshwater washdown in anchor locker
New hidden handrails on house for side decks
Custom gaff storage in lazarette
Northern Lights 12kw generator with 5,563 hours
Vanner Voltmaster 100 amp battery equalizer
Sentry 24 volt 40 amp battery charger
Charles Industries C-Power ISOBoost 50 marine isolation power transformer
50 amp 220 volt shorepower
Faired and Awlgripped engine room and lazarette
Fuel transfer pump
(2) 500 gallon fuel tanks under cockpit sole
(1) 200 gallon fuel tank forward
Plumbed crossover between cockpit tanks
Dripless shaft seals
ZF 550 A transmissions 1.75 to 1 ratio
Fireboy fire system
Oil change system 110 volt
Stainless steel hot water heater
Dual Racor filters for each engine
Bilge pumps forward and aft
Trolling valves
High water alarm
Block heaters
110 volt fresh water well pump
Eskimo ice machine
Engine room blowers
ZF Mathers Cruise Command electronic engine controls
Hynautic steering system
Visonic security system
(2) sump pumps
3 zone Crusair A/C with reverse cycle heat
New vent boxes for engine room ventilation

While we attempt to display current and accurate data, this listing may not reflect the most recent transactions or may contain occasional data entry errors. Selling agent makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the content or availability of the products described herein. All inventory listed is subject to availability and prior sale. Please consult selling agent for details. Prices are quoted for the USA only and may not include transportation, taxes, or other applicable charges. Photographs may be representative only and may vary somewhat from the actual items offered for sale. We will not be responsible for inaccurate data obtained from our site. Please check with your local dealer to ensure that you have the latest information available. Information on this web site could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes may be periodically made to the information or the products herein. Questions or comments regarding these policies may be directed to website hosting agent.

Yacht name «Triple 7» – DEAN JOHNSON is for sale and located in Hampton, Mid-Atlantic, NJ to GA, USA.

Sport Fisherman «Triple 7» built by manufacturer DEAN JOHNSON in 2004 — available for sale. Yacht location: USA. If you are looking to buy a yacht «Triple 7» or need additional information on the purchase price of this DEAN JOHNSON, please call: +1-954-274-4435 (USA)

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The Johnson Collection reflects the South's history and culture

Sending southern art into the world.

It all started with a small but colorful still life, three red roses in thick strokes of red, blue and green oil paint on masonite.

“Three Red Roses,” by Eugene Healan Thomason, was one of the first paintings in the art collection of George Dean and Susu Johnson of Spartanburg. The works, Susu said, from landscapes and still lifes, to scenes of everyday living, river baptisms, a cabin in the woods or harvesting pulp wood in the Smoky Mountains, reminded the couple of the Carolinas when they were living in Florida.

“There wasn't a grand plan when we started collecting,” Susu, a native of Morganton, N.C., said. “From the beginning, what drew us to beautiful pictures was the sense of place that they imparted. We missed the scenery of the Upstate and of my childhood in the mountains of western North Carolina. We fell in love with paintings that spoke to us of home.”

George, a Spartanburg native, calls himself a student of history, whether through books or paintings. He loves the historic works in a collection that includes a study of General Francis Marion camping with his men in the woods and James Walker's “Battle of Gettysburg,” which illustrates a pivotal day in American history on both an epic and intimate scale.

“I also favor those pieces that capture the broader story of the South, like John Kelly Fitzpatrick's harvest scenes or Margaret Law's peach shed, paintings that underscore the importance of agriculture to the Southern economy,” George said.

The Johnson Collection now has 1,032 works on paper, paintings and sculpture by southern artists. It includes 61 paintings by Thomason, which went on display at the Spartanburg Art Museum Feb. 12.

The Johnson Collection underwrote a publication of Thomason's works owned by the Johnsons, “From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason,” published last summer. Southern-born, Thomason (1895-1972) continued his art education in New York and launched his career there. After 10 years studying the Ashcan movement, he adapted it into his own paintings using thick paint and simple subject matter. He returned to the south in the 1930s, moving to the “one traffic light” mountain town of Nebo after working briefly in Charlotte as a portrait painter and teacher.

Thomason's work appealed to Susu, so much now that the Johnson Collection contains the single largest body of his work.

“From the first time I encountered his work, I felt a connection to Eugene Thomason's paintings,” Susu said. “Thomason spent most of his life painting in a tiny crossroads called Nebo, which is just a few miles from Morganton, where I grew up. His landscapes — strong pieces, with thick paint applied very ruggedly — and figure studies of mountain people simply resonated with me.”

The Thomason exhibit will be on display at the Spartanburg Art Museum through April 19 and has already been shown in Augusta, Ga. From Spartanburg, it moves on to the Asheville Art Museum (May 16-Sept. 13) and Mint Museum Randolph in Charlotte (Oct. 3-March 27, 2016).

“What we do beyond Spartanburg and the region is aimed at helping art lovers and art scholars, who can, on rare occasions, be dismissive of Southern art and artists, understand that great Southern art is great American art — period,” said Lynne Blackman, public relations and publications coordinator for the collection. “Southern art can be distinctive and different, but it is not 'less than.' We're a Southern collection, yes, but of national import.”

Sharing the collection with the public is the reason behind its growth. By the end of 2015, there will be about 180 paintings on tour nationally from the Johnson Collection. In addition to the “New York to Nebo” Thomason book, two others — “Romantic Spirits: Nineteenth Century Paintings of the South,” published in 2012, and “Scenic Impressions,” with a publication date set for this November — catalogue and discuss pieces in the collection on those themes.

A “Romantic Spirits” exhibition opens at the Greenville County Museum of Art March 25, on view through May 31. It then moves on to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Columbus, Ga., Museum of Art, and Knoxville Museum of Art, returning to Spartanburg in 2017. A traveling exhibit will also accompany the publication of “Scenic Impressions.”

“George and Susu underwrite the publication of these scholarly journals,” Blackman said. “They get experts to write them to add to the canon of art history. The Johnsons want the collection to be a presence rather than a place. We like to send things out into the world.”

In Spartanburg, art lovers can get a look at a rotating sampling of about 30 paintings at a time at The Johnson Collection (TJC) Gallery, 154 West Main St.

Converse College's Phifer Science Building showcases works by women artists from the collection and the Johnsons donated the bronze sculptures of exceptional women in the arts and sciences scattered across campus.

At USC Upstate's George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics, several modern paintings are on view on the first floor to accent the building's modern architecture. The lobby of One Morgan Square in downtown Spartanburg has a dozen paintings on view. There are also works on view in less accessible venues, such as the presidents' homes at both Converse and Wofford. The collection's website, www.thejohnsoncollection.org, is a digital museum and includes a list of ongoing projects and outreach, exhibits, publications and other news.

On a recent gray January day, visitors from Columbia, Clemson and Greenville walked into the gallery on Main Street and studied the color and warmth in paintings by Thomason, Elliott Daingerfield, Gladys Nelson Smith and Clementine Hunter, just to name a few. Some had seen the recent profile on the collection in “The Magazine Antiques.”

An hour earlier, Converse College art students came in for a gallery talk lead by collection assistant Aimee Wise and director David Henderson, the man behind hundreds of acquisitions for the collection.

Last year, a new lecture series called “Voices in American Art” was introduced. Intended for campus and community audiences, the symposium brings national figures in the world of American art to Spartanburg and is scheduled for April 13. The keynote speaker is Betsy Pochoda, executive editor of “The Magazine Antiques” and her talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Wofford College's Leonard Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Wofford student Mills Brown recently curated a show in the gallery, showcasing Southerners' relationships with their landscapes, ranging from storm clouds to golden fall scenes to a baptism at an African-American church.

“The internship was incredibly valuable to me as it provided unique professional experience, as well as the opportunity for extensive art historical research,” Brown said. “The Johnson Collection truly is a private one for the public good. It has enriched my undergraduate experience and is a cultural cornerstone of the Spartanburg community.”

Students range from young, such as those from Meeting Street Academy, and older, such as those from the colleges, who may come in to sketch the works at the gallery, which gives the gallery the feel of a museum.

“We're especially proud of the collection's ongoing relationships with colleges and universities through our internship and graduate fellowship programs,” Susu said. “George and I are always impressed with the quality and scope of these young art historians' efforts.”

The Johnsons say their daughter, Susanna, an art history major in college, suggested to her parents the idea of sharing the collection with others. Now, George said he and his wife see themselves as stewards of the collection rather than owners.

“And as stewards, we have a responsibility to share the objects with others, as tools for education, as lessons in history, and, as sources of inspiration,” Susu said. “Our entire family takes an active role in the collection — in the paintings we add to the collection and in the ways we can send them out into the world.”

“We hold these works in trust for future generations,” George continued. “It's our responsibility to 'caretake' the paintings, making sure they are properly conserved and managed and to bring them to fuller attention. By increasing access to the works, whether on the web, at the TJC Gallery, or in the cities our exhibitions visit, we hope to inspire others to nurture their own interest in the South's history and culture.”

TJC Gallery, located at 154 W. Main St., is open Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. The gallery is also open on the third Thursday of each month until 8 p.m. as part of Spartanburg's monthly ArtWalk. The gallery usually has about 30 works hanging, with exhibitions rotating about every three months. ♦ All works in the collection are catalogued at http://thejohnsoncollection.org. ♦ Works that are on view outside the collection's offices in Spartanburg may be viewed at http://thejohnsoncollection.org/now-on-view/. ♦ Works that are on loan to different institutions may be viewed at http://thejohnsoncollection.org/works-on-loan/. ♦ “From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason” opened at Spartanburg Art Museum Feb. 12 and will be on view through April 19. ♦ “Romantic Spirits: 19th Century Paintings of the South from the Johnson Collection” opens at the Greenville County Museum of Art March 25 and will be on view through May 31. ♦ For more information, call 594-5834.

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George Dean Johnson, Jr. and OTO Development Announce Plans for a Downtown Spartanburg Hotel

February 24, 2015 | Development

GEORGE DEAN JOHNSON, JR. AND OTO DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR A DOWNTOWN SPARTANBURG HOTEL The over $20 million investment continues a legacy of support for Spartanburg by the Johnson family of companies.

Spartanburg, SC, February 23, 2014- George Dean Johnson Jr. and OTO Development, a local developer, owner and operator of hotels, announce plans to build a hotel in the heart of downtown Spartanburg.

Earlier this evening, the hotel development project proposed by OTO Development received the first reading of City Council approval. CEO Corry Oakes explains, “In evaluating several alternatives for hotel sites in Spartanburg, it was clear that the right choice for the market is to be in the heart of our community. One of the most positive examples of the City of Spartanburg’s vision and leadership has been the focus on revitalizing our urban core. This new hotel will become an important part of the energy and vitality of downtown.”

As award winning developers of hotels nationwide, OTO Development has extensive experience in analyzing hotel markets for potential development. “We have been waiting for the right opportunity to develop a hotel in Spartanburg, where we live and work,” said Oakes. “We are excited that under the leadership of the City, improved market conditions now make this the right time for a new hotel in downtown Spartanburg. The future of our community has never looked brighter.” The hotel site, situated on the corner of Main Street and Daniel Morgan Avenue, is ideally located steps from the restaurants and shops around Morgan Square. The site will consolidate property purchased by Johnson previously and the land which is currently occupied by Event Rentals. This investment will include the relocation of Event Rentals to a new home on West Main Street.

George Dean Johnson Jr., a Spartanburg native, has a long history of development in Spartanburg and is an enthusiastic proponent of the importance of a vibrant downtown. In addition to bringing several corporate headquarters to downtown Spartanburg with partners, including OTO Development, Johnson Development, Pure Barre and American Credit Acceptance, Johnson has invested nearly $60 million to build four buildings with over 330,000 square feet of office space over the last fifteen years.

“Creating good, well paying jobs in Spartanburg is important to all of us at the Johnson family of companies as we know it has been to the Mayor and City Council members,” said Mr. Johnson. “We are proud to employ nearly 1000 people in downtown Spartanburg and we are honored to be a part of the next stage of Spartanburg’s growth.”

“The downtown area has grown into a remarkably vibrant social and cultural scene, and we want to fuel that growth by making it even more accessible to visitors. This hotel’s location will provide a springboard from which visitors will experience the local businesses, restaurants, art galleries, and shops downtown, as well as participate in the many community events held throughout the year in Morgan Square,” said Johnson. “We want this hotel to be a sophisticated complement to the artistic and entrepreneurial fabric that makes our downtown area so unique.”

Additional details regarding the hotel are currently being finalized and will be shared in the coming weeks.

About OTO Development : Established in 2004, OTO Development is an award-winning, rapidly growing hotel development and management company. Our industry leadership position is anchored by a portfolio of great hotels managed by exceptional people. In the past ten years, OTO Development has developed over 60 hotels and currently operates portfolios of hotels for a publicly traded REIT, private equity firms and high net worth individuals. Today, the company continues its impressive growth with more than $1 billion in urban new development projects in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Manhattan, south Florida and Washington DC. For more information about OTO Development, please visit otodevelopment.com.

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100 Dunbar Street, Suite 402 Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306

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Executive Leadership

Johnson Development Associates, Inc. (JDA) is led by an experienced executive team with backgrounds in a diverse range of industries. In keeping with our Guiding Principles , our leaders foster strong partnerships internally and externally, lead their teams with humility, respond to opportunities decisively, and focus on creating long-term value.

Meet our Leadership Team

Our team strives to be accessible and responsive.

Geordy Johnson, Chief Executive Officer

Blake spencer, chief financial officer, rob rain, president, industrial division, ted collie, president, multifamily division, chris callahan, president, self-storage division.

Board of Directors

JDA is part of The Johnson Group , a family of companies that also includes OTO Development and American Credit Acceptance . All three companies are founded by George Dean Johnson, Jr. and governed under the leadership of the Johnson Management Board of Directors.

About Johnson Management

Johnson Management provides general oversight of the operations of each of the businesses, financial management of the portfolio in its entirety, and communication with outside partners and stakeholders. Through this structure, division leaders within Johnson Development are able to quickly discover opportunities for collaboration and build efficiencies in operations, while moving their businesses forward with uninhibited momentum.

George Dean Johnson, Jr., founder of Johnson Development, serves as the Chairman of the Board and the example of excellence expected from all team members within The Johnson Group . His son, Geordy Johnson, continues this legacy of principled leadership in his service as CEO of both Johnson Development and The Johnson Group .

Meet our Board of Directors

George D. Johnson, Jr.

Founder and chairman of the board.

In a business and public service career spanning nearly 40 years, George Dean Johnson, Jr. has built a reputation grounded on the same bedrock he has used to build one company after another. An...

Geordy Johnson

CEO & Director

Dan Breeden

Senior Advisor

Susanna Johnson Shannon

Carlos Evans

Meet our johnson management team.

The Johnson Management team supports the efforts of the three companies within The Johnson Group .

Chief Financial Officer

Catherine Perrenoud

Tax Director

Leslie Ann Wesson

Associate Accountant

Joe Anderson

Tax Manager

Gosia Graves

Shelly Webb

Tammy Waddell

Kathy Dunleavy

Community Liaison

Developing distribution, e-commerce, and light manufacturing facilities in strategic markets nationwide

Building and acquiring luxury apartment homes in dynamic markets across the Sunbelt

Building sophisticated storage facilities in urban and suburban markets

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Mission & History

A private collection for public good.

Visualizing Southern History Iconic Masterworks

Today, the Johnson Collection counts iconic masterworks among its holdings, as well as representative pieces by an astonishing depth and breadth of artists, native and visiting, whose lives and legacies form the foundation of Southern art history. From William D. Washington’s The Burial of Latané to Malvin Gray Johnson’s Roll Jordan Roll , the collection embraces the region’s rich history and confronts its complexities, past and present.

Beyond Regionalism

Hailed by The Magazine Antiques as having staged a "quiet art historical revolution" and expanding "the meaning of regional," the Johnson Collection heralds the pivotal role that art of the South plays in the national narrative. To that end, the collection's ambitious publication and exhibition strategies extend far beyond a single city's limit or a territorial divide.

Since 2012, TJC has produced four significant scholarly books—thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated investigations of Southern art time periods, artists, and themes: Romantic Spirits: Nineteenth Century Paintings of the South (2012); From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason (2014); Scenic Impressions: Southern Interpretations from the Johnson Collection (2015); and Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection (2018). These volumes are accompanied by traveling exhibitions that have been loaned without fee to partner museums with a combined annual attendance of over 1.7 million visitors.

Smaller curated presentations rotate at the collection's hometown exhibition space, TJC Gallery . Individual objects are regularly made available for critical exhibitions such as La Biennale di Venezia , Afro-Atlantic Histories , Outliers and American Vanguard Art , Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933-1957 , Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful , Riffs and Relations: African American Artists and the European Modernist Tradition , and Bold, Cautious, True: Walt Whitman and American Art of the Civil War Era and featured in important publications and catalogues, including The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Art & Architecture , and The Civil War and American Art .

In 2016, the state of South Carolina honored the Johnson Collection with the Governor’s Award for the Arts, its highest arts distinction. The commendation paid tribute to the Johnson family's enduring contributions: "Equally dedicated to arts advancement and arts accessibility, the Johnsons generously share their vision, energy, passion and resources to benefit the arts in South Carolina."

The Art of Education

An annual educational symposium, Voices in American Art , brings prominent arts professionals from across the country to Spartanburg for lectures designed to engage lay audiences. Informal monthly talks enlighten the rotating exhibitions installed at TJC Gallery , our downtown exhibition space which is open to the public each week and during the city's monthly ArtWalk.

Cultural Stewardship

Susan (Susu) Phifer Johnson and George Dean Johnson Jr. are passionate philanthropists committed to enhancing the educational environment and cultural vibrancy of their hometown, state, and region.

Susu Johnson, the collection's chief executive officer, is a champion of women's capacities and contributions. An alumna and life trustee of Converse College, she is an active community advocate currently serving on the leadership board of Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) and Girl Scouts of South Carolina Midlands to Mountains . Most recently, she spearheaded the establishment of Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg , an innovative school that aims to empower “young people from under-resourced neighborhoods to become confident, productive, and principled members of society through excellence in academics.” Mrs. Johnson is a former member of Spartanburg City Council and has served on the boards of Brookgreen Gardens , Spoleto Festival USA , and numerous non-profit organizations.

An accomplished executive with a creative entrepreneurial spirit, George Dean Johnson Jr. is widely regarded as a business giant and public service leader in his home state and beyond. The founder and chairman of Johnson Development Associates , Johnson co-founded and directed two companies onto the New York Stock Exchange in the 1990s, and his executive experience includes seats on seven NYSE boards: Extended Stay America, Norfolk Southern, Duke Energy, AutoNation, Inc., Boca Resorts, Advance America Cash Advance, and Blockbuster, Inc. A former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and past director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Mr. Johnson has also served as chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the board of trustees of Converse College. Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Wofford College and earned a juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina.

The Johnsons’ two adult children, Geordy and Susanna, are integrally involved in their family’s business and philanthropic initiatives, including TJC. Having earned an undergratuate degree in art history from Washington & Lee University and a master's degree in fundraising and grantmaking from New York University, Susanna Johnson Shannon serves as a curatorial advisor to the collection. A graduate of Washington & Lee University (BA) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (MBA), Geordy Johnson is chief executive officer of Johnson Development Associates .

The Johnson Collection is part of The Johnson Group , a diverse family of companies that offer unmatched service and expertise in their respective industries. These individual enterprises share a set of guiding principles—integrity, partnership, humility, principled entrepreneurship, initiative, and fulfillment—that shape our practices and performance.

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Please read the following terms of use and disclaimer carefully before using this website (this site). By accessing or using this site, you agree to these terms of use. If you do not agree to these terms you may not use this site.

All trademarks, service marks, and trade names (collectively the "Marks") are proprietary to the Johnson Collection or other respective owners that have granted the Johnson Collection the right and license to use such Marks.

This site is intended for users over the age of 18. The information, Services, Products, and materials contained in this site, including, without limitation, text, graphics, and links, are provided on an "as is" basis with no warranty. To the maximum extent permitted by the law, the Johnson Collection disclaims all representations and warranties, express or implied, with respect to such information, services, products, and materials, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, noninfringement, freedom from computer virus, and implied, warranties arising from course of dealing or course of performance. In addition, the Johnson Collection does not represent or warrant that the inforamtion accessible via this site is accurate, complete or current.

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In no event shall the Johnson Collection be liable for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, incidental, exemplary or consequential, damages, or any damages whatsoever, even if the Johnson Collection has been previously advised of the possibility of such damages, whether in an action under contract, negligence, or any other theory, arising out of or in connection with the use, inability to use, or performance of the information, services, products, and materials available from this site. These limitations shall apply notwithstanding any failure of essential purpose of any limited remedy. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, or the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you.

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The Johnson Collection may at any time revise these Terms of Use by updating this posting. By using this Site, you agree to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to determine the then current Terms of Use to which you are bound.

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Thank you for visiting the Johnson Collection website and reviewing our privacy policy.

We will collect no personally identifying information about you when you visit our website unless you choose to provide that information to us. The information we collect depends upon what you do when visiting our site.

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