Robert Johnson
Vice President Public Affairs
Robert Johnson specializes in transportation policy and problem solving. He’s in the process of setting up sports communications and construction practice divisions at HighGround. Mr. Johnson is an authority on spring training baseball issues in Arizona, and is also a powerful voice regarding professional baseball in the state. He joined HighGround in 2008 following his tenure as Chief of Staff at the DOT.
Mr. Johnson has served as Chief of Staff to US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Before that, he was Director of Communications for the Transportation Security Administration, where he was on the media front lines in the nation’s war against terrorism, responsible for communicating the latest developments in transportation security to a global media audience.
Mr. Johnson has more than 32 years of experience in politics, journalism and public affairs. He got his start working as press secretary to Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe and campaign spokesman for Arizona Senator Jon Kyl. He created a proactive communications strategy for embattled Arizona Governor Fife Symington, and directed transition media coverage for Arizona Governor Jane Hull. Mr. Johnson also re-tooled the image of the Arizona Department of Transportation while serving as its Director of Communications at a time when a critical 20-year urban freeway plan was being rewritten. Earlier, Johnson spent time in the news media in reporter, editor and producer capacities in the Phoenix, Tucson and Denver markets.