Rob JohnsonAs chief of staff to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Rob Johnson ’96 makes sure the wheels of government run smoothly in the second-highest executive office in state government.
While Johnson manages a staff of over 30 employees with a budget of about $3 million, he also serves key roles as legislative strategist and senior political adviser to the lieutenant governor, who is president of the Senate and chairs the Legislative Budget Board and Legislative Council. As Dewhurst’s right hand, Johnson works closely with senators and their staffs as he directs and guides priority legislation from inception through passage. He also advises Dewhurst on Senate committee assignments and state agency appointments and participates in the development of the Texas’ $160 billion-plus budget. And those are just the high points of Johnson’ high-profile post.
The former student body president, Hunt Scholar and president of Sigma Chi fraternity left SMU with Bachelor’s degrees in political science and public relations and “valuable skills that have helped me in my professional life.”
Johnson remembers SMU “as a special place” with “opportunities to get involved and serve in leadership positions from day one.” While he jokes that he “did not enjoy 8 a.m. meetings” as student body president, he did like “solving problems and creating change and new opportunities” for students.
“Patience is a virtue that I learned at SMU,” Johnson says. “I also learned that there is not always just one way to get things done. Lots of times leadership positions require navigating the process in the most advantageous route for your cause, and that’s an invaluable skill that I learned at SMU. Compromise and listening are abilities that my experience taught me. And maybe most importantly, I learned that if you do not understand your opponent’s argument, then you do not truly understand your own. This lesson has served me well in my career.”