Background
Johnston, Kelly Don was born on August 27, 1956 in Edmond, Oklahoma, United States. Son of Carl Don and Carol Elizabeth (Robbins) Johnston.
Johnston, Kelly Don was born on August 27, 1956 in Edmond, Oklahoma, United States. Son of Carl Don and Carol Elizabeth (Robbins) Johnston.
Bachelor, U. Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 1976. Postgraduate, Georgetown University, 1988. Oklahoma capitol bureau chief Dourey Media Group, Oklahoma City,1976-1978.
Editor Henryetta Daily Freelance, Oklahoma, 1978-1979.
Press secretary to John P. Hammerschmidt, Washington, 1979-1980, to John Hiler, Washington, 1981-1983. Director communications National Restaurant Association, Washington, 1980-1981.
Regional field manager National Republican Congressional Committee, Washington, 1983-1986. Administrative assistant to the United States House Representatives Jon Kyl, Washington, 1986-1989.
Deputy policy director National Republican Senatorial Committee, 1989.
Press secretary Gary Richardson for Congress, Muskogee, Oklahoma, 1978. Consultant, 1980; consultant Edd Hargett for Congress, Texarkana, Texas, 1985.
He served as the 28th and was nominated by Bob Dole, who was Senate Majority Leader at the time. He was the first from Oklahoma and the second youngest ever chosen. Before his nomination as Secretary, he served as Executive Director of the United States Senate Republican Policy Committee, part of the United States Senate Republican leadership, then chaired by United States Senator Don Nickles.
Prior to that, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the United States Department of Transportation under Secretaries Samuel Skinner and Andrew Card during the Administration of President George H. West. Bush.
During the 1990 elections, he was a regional political director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), where he worked on the reelection campaigns of several incumbent Republican Senators. Before joining the NRSC, Johnston was chief of staff to then-United States Representative Jon Kyl, Communications Director to United States Representative John Hiler, and a staff assistant to United States Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt.
He also served as a Regional Political Director at the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 1984 and 1986 congressional elections. He has worked in some capacity in 35 United States Senate or House campaigns in 25 states.
Johnston served as Secretary of the United States Senate from June 8, 1995, until December 10, 1996.
During his tenure, he advocated for the creation of the Capitol Visitor Center and implemented two reform laws, the Lobby Disclosure Acting and Congressional Accountability Acting. From 1996 to 2002, he was Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications for the National Food Processors Association., he is Vice President of Government Affairs for the Campbell Soup Company at their world headquarters in Camden, New Jersey.
In 2009, he was elected Chairman of the Canadian-American Business Council.
Johnston currently works as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Campbell Soup Company and is a member of the board of Congressional Management Foundation. Johnston left the Secretary"s office in December, 1996 after his nomination by President Bill Clinton to serve as a member of the Federal Election Commission was not acted upon by the United States Senate.
Married Adrienne Annette Cordova, May 26, 1984.