Employee Spotlight: Kurt Johnson

October 1, 2019

Fun Facts With Kurt

What do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my wife and our four kids. Three boys and a girl. They are a blessing from God and every day provides us an opportunity to teach, help, mold,

and learn from them.

I like to build things with wood and work on projects and pass that knowledge onto my children.  We assist in “chicken slaughter” day with our farmer friends and the whole family has a role.

What are your hobbies?
I love anything that gets me outside, particularly hunting, fishing and camping. I love being in God’s creation and never knowing what to expect.  The physical and mental test of sitting and/or walking on the hunt; of training for the shot and preparing for the moment.  I love watching the sunrise and seeing everything come alive. Then in the evening, I love watching the sun go down and seeing everything get quiet.

I grew up in Nebraska, so I am passionate about the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. As a Nebraskan, Husker football is in your blood.

What is your life philosophy?
I didn’t grow up as a Christian and struggled through various issues.  When I accepted Jesus Christ my life changed.  I try to reach others by setting the example and going from there.

What is something many people do not know?
After high school, I needed to do something on my own and build my life on a solid foundation.  I didn’t think that I would make it through the initial four years but I ended up staying in for eleven and a half years as an active duty Marine.  Military life has good and bad days.  My proudest accomplishments were getting meritoriously promoted three times ahead of my peers (E-3, E-5, and E-7) as well as having a successful tour as a Drill Instructor for 7 platoons. I was proud to be able to mold civilians into Marines.  It was always a proud and sad day to see my recruits graduate.

A lot of the intangible tools that I learned in the Marines transferred to civilian life: work hard, set goals, and help the people around you. They are your team and will make the group as a whole better.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson