Before getting married, the Johnsons made agreements about where and how to raise their children. It landed them in Greenwood, Arkansas.
“It was love at first sight for me, but it took him a little longer,” said. Sandy Johnson M.D., cofounder of Johnson Dermatology. “He came around quickly though.” Sandy and her husband, fellow dermatologist Brad Johnson, M.D., established their clinic in nearby Fort Smith in 2006.
“I’m originally from Ohio. And Brad comes from a long line of community activists that are well known in Greenwood,” said Sandy. “Many in his family were educators and believed in giving back to their community. My family also held similar values, but both of our families did their charity work through the church. Brad and I wanted to be a little more intentional about our giving — make a different kind of impact more specific to our passion.”
The Johnsons established the Brad and Sandra Johnson Endowment in 2002 at Arkansas Community Foundation. They’ve made several grants every year since then.
“Brad and I used to live in Little Rock, and one of the things we loved most about the city were the walking trails,” said Sandy. “We knew we wanted to have the same kind of trails where we were raising our family.”
Both runners, Sandy and Brad are proponents of a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle. They believe that when kids — or anyone for that matter — can be outside more and feel safe outdoors, it helps improve communities.
“When we first moved here, our kids couldn’t walk to school,” she said. “They are in college now, but now walking to school is possible for more local students. Our ultimate goal, which is why our fund is endowed, is for all the area’s schools to be connected by walking trails.”
That goal is on its way to becoming reality. Because of the many donations made to Greenwood Parks and Recreation, nature walks can be found all over the Greenwood and Fort Smith communities. The Johnsons have funded trails, sidewalks, path lighting and various other small projects to make nature walks accessible for more people. They are deeply involved. More than funders, they review drawings, attend planning meetings, and are committed to making sure implementation is right.
“Greenwood is well-known for its good education system, and that was a huge reason why we raised our kids here,” said Sandy, “But from the beginning of our relationship, we’ve enjoyed the outdoors and being in nature. It’s always been as important as just about anything else.
“Over time, we have learned that our marriage is better when we go on walks, simple as that,” she said. “Nature has been good for our family. And we want for more people to enjoy it, too.”