Paula Johnson

Vice President

Paula Johnson began her career in the disability services field in 1977 in Seattle, Washington as a member of the management team of Olympus Electronics, an innovative small business that provided training and employment for people with developmental disabilities.

For the next decade she continued to work at Olympus and served as the General Manager for five years. She also provided employment services training and consultation throughout the state of Washington and Oregon during this time. While living and working in California in the 1990s, she served as the Associate Director and Director of the Rehabilitation Administration Program, McLaren School of Business, at the University of San Francisco. During her time at USF, Paula directed California’s Supported Employment statewide training project and led the California Corporate Initiative. She has extensive experience in marketing, job development, job analysis, career planning, staff training, and management.

Since 1999, Paula has lived in Lake Oswego, Oregon and is currently providing training and consultation for Clark County’s Department of Community Services Developmental Disabilities Program. She provides consultation to private and public sector employers related to the recruitment, hiring, and retention of people with disabilities. She also conducts job development training for the State of California’s Department of Rehabilitation and Department of Mental Health.

International Experience:

Conducted training in Sydney, Australia
Presented a seminar at a national conference in Great Britain
Conducted training in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario Canada
Hosted a corporate event in Tokyo, Japan for Alumni of the University of San Francisco
Managed a NAFTA project for the University of San Francisco which involved travel to Mexico and Canada

Paula holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education from the University of Idaho and a Master of Science degree in Special Education from the University of Oregon. She is a member of the Vancouver Rotary Club and is active in many community activities.