Johnna Van, Founding Partner

601.327.9596 – johnna@greatmindscommunication.com

Johnna Van has more than 26 years of experience in media/press relations, news reporting, strategic planning, writing, and public outreach. Her communication skills began forming at a young age and continued to bloom a bit more as she started her career in the news business. Johnna began her career in 1989 as a news broadcaster for WBIP Radio – a CBS affiliate located in north Mississippi. Shortly thereafter, she landed a position with WOWL-TV, an NBC affiliate located in Florence, Alabama, as a news reporter and also hosted a live, talk-show that focused on community events.

In 1991, Johnna returned to her home state of Mississippi and went to work with WJNT as a news broadcaster where she announced six newscasts per day. Two of Johnna’s stories landed on the national news with ABC Radio. That opened doors for her, at the young age of 23, to help elect the first Republican Governor in the state of Mississippi since reconstruction. She was then named as the Press Secretary to Governor Kirk Fordice where she served admirably for six years, and was a member of the senior staff during her entire stint with the administration. She went on to serve as Vice President for the Public Forum Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C. for the next 17 years. Her primary role there was serving as the project manager for the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS), a public/private partnership that brings remote sensing technologies, which were developed at government expense, into the private sector. These fine places introduced her to new people, big ideas, and global concepts that helped shape the person she is today.

Years of experience in her field inspired Johnna and her colleague, Patricia, to combine their talents and start their own firm, that is today known as Great Minds Communication. Johnna has been very active in her community as well. While in Mississippi, she served on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Mississippi Resource Center Network, and was Chairman of Publicity for the 1994 Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. She has served as a celebrity waiter for three years in the Leukemia Society’s Annual Fundraiser.

Upon moving to Louisiana with her husband, a native of Monroe, she has been active in many different organizations. She served on the Board of Directors for the Miss Louisiana Scholarship Organization, served on the First West Creative Team, and today is a member of the Hospitality Team. For two years she provided feature stories during the West Monroe Rebel Football broadcasts on 105.3 FM. She was recognized by her peers as the Cancer Foundation League’s Outstanding Volunteer for 2010 where she served as Chairman of Publicity. She is a sought after interview coach, preparing young women and men for interviews – from job interviews to interviews on the stage of Miss America. She can be found cheering for her son on the golf course or enjoying yet another community project with her volunteer work or with Great Minds thinking up something fabulous with her colleagues and clients.