Barbara Johnson joined Wisconsin Watch in 2016 as a volunteer senior strategic adviser. As interim executive director, she helped strengthen operations, with a special focus on the development of Wisconsin Watch’s business model. Johnson was CEO and COO of four media companies in New York and Madison before her retirement in 2015. She was also a reporter and editor for 15 years before moving into business roles, winning national and state awards for her investigative stories. She has served on the boards of public and private companies and as an operating partner of a private equity firm. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan.