Scholarship Honoring Al Johnston Kicks Off with $5K

The following press release was issued to Patch by the Broadneck Council of Communities.

A group of community leaders, friends, colleagues and family have joined together to honor Al Johnston, the late community activist and mentor to many. A Committee has been formed to Honor Al Johnston and has set a goal of $50,000 to be raised in two phases. This money will fund a legal studies scholarship in Al’s name at Anne Arundel Community College. The Honorary Chairs of the committee are: Honorable Marjorie S. Holt, Honorable Cathy M. Vitale, Coach Andy Borland and Reverend W.Terry Schoener.

Al’s civic participation was legendary. County Councilman Dick Ladd, like many government officials, relied on Johnston’s encyclopedic knowledge of planning, zoning and community issues. Ladd said “talking with Johnston was probably the best place to start and the best place to finish.”  A person with many talents, Al was a Harvard trained lawyer and an engineer who held a variety of corporate positions throughout his business career.

His volunteer work spanned many years but accelerated after he retired. Al worked with communities to help solve zoning, planning, enforcement and other problems that impacted neighborhoods. He was a 25 year member, president, and vice president of the Greater Severna Park Council, and very active in the Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church.  He served on several Advisory Committees during the development of the A.A.County General Development Plans (1967,1998,and 2009) and helped write the Small Area Plan for the Severna Park and Broadneck areas. He spearheaded efforts to serve citizens in projects including the Severna Park Community Foundation and Sunrise, an independent and assisted living community. Al was a Board member of the Maryland AARP and received a special honor for his service last year.

Al seemed to have more hours in his day than anyone else and rarely missed a County Council meeting. He would attend multiple meetings during the day with more events scheduled into the evening..He was always available to help others with community concerns.

At their monthly meeting on June 11, 2013 the Greater Severna Park Council presented a $5,000 check to the Al Johnston Memorial Scholarship Fund. 

Other pledges have been received. Anyone wishing to contribute to this fund (Al Johnston Memorial Scholarship Fund) should send a check to the Anne Arundel Community College Foundation at 101 College Parkway, ICOX Building, Arnold, MD 21012. Online contributions can be sent to aacc.edu/foundation.

For more information contact Committee Chair Bill Nevel at 202-468-2934.