Dave Alan Johnson grew up in Buffalo Center, the youngest child
of Colonel Roy B. and Bonnie Johnson. After high school graduation, he attended
North Iowa Area Community College on a basketball scholarship. Besides sports,
music was a big part of his life. He was a member of the NIACC Singers and
occasionally toured during the summer with his older siblings, known as “The
Johnsons,” who performed across Iowa and the nation in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
After graduating from NIACC in 1976, Dave transferred to Arizona State, earning
a degree in music. He taught music for one year, then headed to California,
where he got his start in commercials. Now, as a writer, he’s teaching Hollywood
a thing or two. He has been a successful member of the Hollywood community for
more than a decade, but he has not forgotten his heritage. In fact, his
Midwestern roots are often the inspiration for his work.
He has shown his creative talents for such leading entertainment companies as
Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, Disney, Paramount, Sony, MGM, FOX, ABC, NBC, and
CBS. He has created and produced such celebrated television series as ABC’s
“Jack’s Place” starring Hal Linden, the critically acclaimed NBC series “Against
the Grain” starring Ben Affleck, and CBS’s “The Client” with JoBeth Williams. In
addition, he co-created and produced “High Incident” with Steven Spielberg.
This season, he serves double duty as the creator of PAX TV’s original series
“Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye” starring Deanne Bray in its first season and “Doc”
starring Billy Ray Cyrus now in its third season. He works on both series, which
are filmed in Toronto, with his brother, Gary, and sister-in-law, Joan. In the
past month, “Doc” received the prestigious Epiphany Prize at the annual
Movieguide Awards, and both shows contributed to the best performance ever for
PAX TV’s Sunday night line up with nearly two million viewers.
Dave and his wife, Diane, live in Moorpark, CA, with their daughter Alex, age15,
and son Matt, age 13. Despite his hectic work schedule, which includes frequent
trips to Toronto, Dave finds time to attend his daughter’s high school swim
meets and to coach his son’s basketball team.
He still feels his greatest assets were acquired while growing up in Iowa. “My
roots and faith have given me an ability to touch the hearts and minds of
everyday folks across the country because I’m one of them,” he said. “It’s
something I’m proud of – it’s who I am.”
Dave spoke at the NIACC's 2003 Pathways to Success leadership luncheon on April 28, 2003.
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