Who
Biography
Born & Raised in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina
Graduated (1976) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration.
Johnny began his career in sales as a student at UNC when he sold books during the summer door to door with The Southwestern Company. His first summer Johnny was #1 First Year Sales person, out of over one thousand students, and set the company record for most volume sales by a rookie. He repeated the feat his second year by becoming the #1 experienced sales person in the country.
For the following three years Johnny was a District Sales Manager – interviewing, recruiting, training, and motivating college students to work 80 hours a week, 6 days a week, knocking on doors and selling books on straight commission.
Johnny and his wife Genie moved to Hilton Head in 1980 where he began his real estate career selling timeshares at the Sea Crest Surf & Racquet Club. From 1985 to 1990 he worked on Daufuskie Island selling undivided resort interests at Melrose.
Johnny joined John Reed in 1990 at Colleton River as a sales executive and was instrumental in selling Colleton River, the first high end golf club community on the Mainland (just off of Hilton Head).
He followed up Colleton River with Belfair from 1995 – 2000 where again Johnny was a top sales executive while also serving as Director of Sales.
Johnny continued with Reed Development in 2000 where he was instrumental in the envisioning, development, and sales and marketing of Berkeley Hall. He successfully balanced his roles as development partner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and active sales professional until 2005.
From 2005 until the fall of 2009 Johnny was one of the key figures again with John Reed in envisioning, developing, and the sales and marketing of Hampton Lake, the first lake community in the Lowcountry.
Hampton Lake was selected by the National Homebuilder’s Association in 2007 to receive their prestigious “Best in American Living Award” for the “Best Community Facility” in the United States and in 2008 was awarded the "Best Community in America".
In 2000 Johnny, along with several partners founded Gateway Realty, a full service brokerage real estate firm with offices now at the entrance of Colleton River, Belfair and Berkeley Hall. Gateway has grown to become the #1 general brokerage company on the Mainland, and this fall Johnny joined his son John to serve the many customers who bought from Johnny over the years.
In 2003 Johnny became one of the founding board members of a successful start-up community bank, Bank Meridian, with locations in Hilton Head and Columbia, South Carolina.
Family/Personal
Johnny and Genie (his junior high sweetheart) are active members of their church and have four children: John is married with two children and is a partner with the Ussery Group. Jordan is married and livig in New York City where she and her husband Trevor welcomed the birth of their first child in September. Jeff is a third year student playing baseball at Georgia Tech. Jackie is a junior at NC State playing Club tennis.
Locally, Johnny has served as a dedicated and successful coach of high school basketball, including a State Championship team. He also led a local Hilton Head Dixie Youth baseball team of 11 and 12 year olds to a World Series title.
Johnny has always enjoyed training, and has done numerous sessions for Terry Weaver’s annual ACES conference. He frequently received requests to do onsite sales training and consulting but rarely accepted due to the ages of his children and his volunteer coaching responsibilities.
With his youngest child now in college Johnny is now able to travel and help other real estate developments achieve immediate and lasting success.