Posted on Dec 01, 2021
This is a section dedicated to get to know our fellow members.
 
Get to know Gene Johnston!
 
Name: Gene Johnston
Hometown: Bayard, Iowa (west of Des Moines). I lived most of my life in Indianola, Iowa, before moving to Linn County seven years ago.
Why did you join Rotary? A friend invited me to a Rotary meeting in Mt Vernon five years ago. I knew zero (I mean absolutely 0) about Rotary before that meeting. I was new to the area, trying to make friends, and looking for ways to get involved in community service. Rotary checked all the boxes.
What do you like most about Rotary? As I get to know more Rotarians, I realize what good people they are; friendly, service-minded, inquisitive, action-oriented, laid-back. There are lots of things we can do to engage with and serve our communities. It gives me a good feeling.
Career: I spent my career as a writer/editor for Successful Farming magazine, part of Meredith Corporation in Des Moines. In retirement now, I still do a fair number of freelance stories every year for the same magazine on assignment. I'm one of those few people who decided on a career path in high school, stuck with it through college (agricultural journalism at Iowa State), and am still doing basically the same thing now 50 years later. I enjoy meeting people, learning what they do and how, and then crafting that into a story that other people can learn from.
Hobbies: I like reading, especially historical stuff. I can tend to be a sports nut, watching on TV and in person. 
More About Me: Susan and I like to travel and visit our kids and 9 grandkids scattered across the globe - Rhode Island, Virginia, Tennessee, Iowa, Kansas, and Thailand!