Johnny Walton - 2001 AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR

By: Hershel Strickland, Executive Secretary

Jack Humphries, the first Executive Secretary of GMIS International, recommended establishing the Ambassador of the Year Award to recognize the GMIS member who exemplifies the spirit of GMIS by recruiting new members and helping the organization to grow. The GMIS Board approved this special recognition award, given to the GMIS member who by recruits the most new members. In my present position as Executive Secretary of GMIS International, it is my pleasure to congratulate our 200l Ambassador of the Year, Johnny Walton.

The 2001 Ambassador of the Year Award recipient is a new GMIS member, but he is a very busy leader. Johnny is a past president of the South Carolina Association of Finance & Data Processing Professionals, and has served on several statewide committees. He currently serves on the SC Judicial Department's Automated Case Management Task Force, which will select and implement South Carolina's first state-wide court system. He was one of the five South Carolina Agency representatives who visited a GA GMIS meeting and decided a State Chapter was needed SC. His leadership skills have worked with a great organizational committee to help bring together state agencies and local governments to form SC GMIS. He is a charter member and is currently serving as President of SC GMIS. He recruits new members, contacts potential members, and is always willing to answer a lot of questions for and about GMIS.

Johnny has been with Aiken County government since January 1983, when he was hired as the county's first computer employee. Through his leadership as the Director of Information Services, the installation has grown from an IBM System/34 with 12 terminals to multiple IBM AS/400s and Windows servers and 500 PCs, serving county users in 25 locations. The county's computerization efforts were awarded a NACO Achievement Award in 1987. Johnny holds a BS degree in Computer Science from Augusta College.

Johnny's main hobby is maintaining statistics and history for his alma mater's football program at Lincoln County High School in Georgia. His football website, www.LincolnCountyRedDevils.com , is considered one of the best single-team sites in Georgia.