Growing up, Peggy W. Johnsen longed to become a teacher. She discovered home economics in college, and decided to combine her interests into one career. Her first professional position was instructor at the graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, followed by teacher at various secondary schools in Bigelow and Lake Village, Arkansas. Dr. Johnsen then became an educational coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Education, an industry training coordinator at the Arkansas Power & Light Co., the director of tech prep at Cuesta College, and an associate community education faculty member at Allen Hancock College, as well as a member of the operations planning division at Lockheed Missile & Space at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. She retired in 2013.
When Dr. Johnsen wasn’t working, she was using her knowledge to help her community. She notably authored “Performance Based Training,” edited “Word Processing: A Competency Based Guide,” and served as the vice chair of the vocational advisory council in Pulaski County, Arkansas. Contributing the word processing curriculum guide was one of the highlights of Dr. Johnsen’s career; the project included developing curriculum, defining objectives, and figuring out the teaching process. It was passed out to all of the schools that participated in tech prep.
To prepare for her endeavors, Dr. Johnsen earned a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Central Arkansas in 1957, a Master of Science from the University of Tennessee in 1966, and an EdD from the University of Arkansas in 1984. She also became a certified education specialist through the University of Arkansas, a certified school principal, and a certified curriculum specialist. Her dissertation dealt with organizational health in the nuclear industry aspect.
In Dr. Johnsen’s free time, she enjoys teaching the art of stained glass. She even wrote a booklet, “Basic Stained Glass: A Competency Based Instructor’s Manual,” on the subject in 1998. Additionally, Dr. Johnsen enjoys teaching Bunka, a Japanese embroidery technique. She has been on the board of directors of the Los Padres Artist Guild since 1994.