Born in the region and graduating from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Lynn knows the challenges and advantages of growing up in a rural region. Taking every opportunity he could to get an education, Lynn attended the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship, lettering three years and serving as team captain his senior year. Upon graduation, Lynn served in the U.S. Army then received his Master’s degree in economics from East Tennessee State University. He joined Eastman Chemical Company in 1965 and rose through the ranks to be named vice president of government relations in 1996, managing local to national interests. Lynn retired from Eastman in 2002, but continued as a government relations consultant for regional companies.

Lynn established the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Committee where he served as chair. He started the annual Regional Legislative Breakfast that hosts government officials to present to the business community updates on legislation and trends from the capitol. He has also served on Kingsport’s Board of Education, serving as president for seven years. In 2017, Lynn Johnson received the Lifetime Member Award from the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. Lynn has been and continues to be influential in higher education for the state of Tennessee. He was appointed to serve a six-year term on the University of Tennessee’s Board of Trustees and served a three-year term on the UT Athletics Board. He currently serves on President of University of Tennessee, Dr. Joe DiPietro’s Advisory Council.

On behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee, Lynn has influenced local, regional and statewide businesses and governments to support legislation and provide funding that impact BGC stakeholders. He served on the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport board from 1972 until he was transferred to the Washington DC area in 1979. Then back to service again from 2006 to present. He has served on the Resource Development Committee as chair and led the capital campaign to build the Eastman Campus of BGCK, raising over $7 million. Lynn has won the BGCA National Service to Youth Award, and most recently, the 25-year service award from BGCA. He served on the board of the Tennessee Alliance and recently completed his second term as board chair. During his time with the Alliance, Lynn was instrumental in the development of Career Technical Education for the past three years, resulting in CTE funding in the Governor’s budget. 

Although he has been a huge advocate for Clubs on the state and local level, he continues to be an advocate for Club Kids. Not only is he an active board member, he is also a mentor – taking kids to UT for tours of the campus and telling them about the opportunities they have to achieve their dreams of attending college. 

One outstanding example of the care and attention Lynn has for members is when he recently provided braces for one of our members. Although she is already a strong confident young lady, she said in passing that she wanted braces one day to help her become more confident in speaking in front of groups. She was focused on her credibility with public speaking as the 2017 Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport’s Youth of the Year. Without mentioning the conversation to her or anyone else at the Club, Lynn contacted an orthodontist in Kingsport and arranged to have her teeth straightened. His only caveat was that it would be her responsibility to make sure she didn’t miss her appointments. To this day, she has not missed one appointment and continues her wide smile – braces and all. Throughout his life and with his leadership, Lynn has developed and continues the legacy of enabling all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens of Tennessee and beyond. Lynn Johnson and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Beth and Brooke. They have two grandchildren, Bailey and Drew. He and his wife are members of First Broad Street United Methodist Church in Kingsport.