Robert Burns Johnston
When the person nominating Robert Johnston for the Hall of Fame was asked to describe what may distinguish him from others holding similar positions that person wrote, “Leadership in statewide policy and advisory organizations”. And that has indeed been a hallmark of his career. Robert has consistently provided leadership to make lives safer and especially to make government services more reliable. This has been true in all facets of his life, whether at work, in civic endeavors, or at church; which is why current Frederick Mayor Eddie Whitworth describes Robert as “a real community man”. And, he will always make you feel welcome, even if you are just passing through from Arkansas to New Mexico.
Robert has 31 years of municipal service as Administrative Assistant/Public Works Director at Clinton; City Manager of Tonkawa and for the past 20 years as City Manager of Frederick. He is one of 11 Oklahoma ICMA Credentialed Managers.
He served in 1997-98 as President of the Boards of Directors of both the City Management Association of Oklahoma and the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma. And during those months he also had time to be President of the Frederick Rotary Club. He was the 2009-2011 President of the Board of the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML).
Robert served from 2007-09 as an Executive Board Member/Mountain Plains Regional Vice President for the International City/County Management Association. Served as a member of the Oklahoma Water Quality Management Advisory Council from 1997-2004; including as Chairman from 1999-2000 and again in 2002. He has served since 2007 as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority; and as a Board Member since 2004.
He is serving as an OML representative on the Board of Directors for the Southern Municipal Conference. The conference provides an opportunity for officers, directors, and staff of 13 southern municipal leagues to share mutual political and policy concerns with their counterparts throughout the southern region.