Fred Johnson
The Student CEO: Fred Johnson Continues His Commitment to Lifelong Learning at Southern Wesleyan
As CEO of Alabama’s largest member-owned telecommunications provider, Fred Johnson has spent 23 years guiding Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative through the complex terrain of 21st-century broadband and telecom services. Yet, despite his executive success, Johnson has traded his corner office for a student desk at his alma mater, Southern Wesleyan University, pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). This December, he’ll walk across the stage to receive his degree, a milestone driven by what he calls “an authentic commitment to lifelong learning.”
“I’ve had an incredibly gratifying business career with more than my fair share of opportunities,” Johnson says. “But I wanted to do something that would give me a legitimate opportunity to teach and consult in employee education and managerial leadership development. Obviously, the credentials help with credibility, but the knowledge you gain and the research experience you receive? It’s just a gratifying experience.”
Johnson’s ties to SWU run deep. His grandfather and father served as trustees during the institution’s early years, when it was known as Central Wesleyan College (CWC). His sister attended the university before him (and was also a board of trustee member), and his brother-in-law, Dr. Mickey Rickman, was a longtime faculty member. Johnson himself earned a BS in Accounting and Business Administration in 1982, a formative time that included meeting his wife, Susan. “I had an absolutely wonderful four-year undergrad experience,” he recalls.
That undergraduate journey laid the foundation for a 44-year marriage and a thriving career, but returning as a doctoral student decades later has been a different challenge. With a master’s from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earned years earlier, Johnson laughs as he offers a candid warning: “I don’t recommend anybody wait 20 years between their undergrad and master’s, or 20 years between their master’s and doctoral program. Go for something less than 20-year intervals if possible!”
The shift from CEO to student reawakened his drive for top grades and timely deadlines, traits he’d kept in check as a laid-back undergrad. “Professors like Dr. Pirkle and Dr. Hammond have had to tell me, ‘Fred, it’s time to chill,’” he jokes. “I’ve had to settle into the routine and not stress over perfection.”
His effort has paid off. The DBA program’s practical focus enabled Johnson to overhaul his company’s human resource development policies and ethical framework, blending researched-based rigor with real-world impact. “That work alone has brought a monetary value to my employer greater than the cost of tuition for the whole program,” he notes. “Having respected graduate faculty confirm that what I’m doing is academically sound from a research perspective? My gosh, that’s valuable.”
Johnson particularly values how faculty like Dr. Kip Pirkle, Dr. Priscilla Hammond, and Dr. Lee Kizer reinforce a Christian worldview. “If you do it right,” he says of his doctoral work, “it strengthens your commitment to morality and ethical frameworks rather than calling them into question. It’s an opportunity for spiritual development.”
He also praises the graduate business faculty’s balance of rigor and support. “Not only are they knowledgeable,” he says, “but it’s remarkable to experience faculty who can challenge you, correct you, and encourage you all at once. They really care—just like the faculty did back in my undergraduate days.”
For those considering a DBA, Johnson offers encouragement—and a reality check. “It’s extremely challenging and demanding,” he admits. “But for those willing to put forth the effort, it’s incredibly gratifying. The longer you stick with it, the more you see the results.”