Johnson joins the EKU athletic staff with more than thirty years’ experience in the sports industry. Most recently, he owned a regional sports marketing startup, DonBar Ventures, LLC, which specialized in assisting clients with business-to-business opportunities, sales representation, and business development.
The prior nine years, Johnson served as Director of Athletics at Lexington Christian Academy (LCA), a position he held since 2014. Responsible for all aspects of the department, Johnson was responsible for the school’s twenty-three athletics programs, more than five hundred student-athletes and more than eighty coaches. Additionally, he was responsible for all fundraising and sponsorship sales. During this tenure, Eagle athletics raised more than $2 million for capital improvements, won 7 KHSAA state titles, 12 All “A” State Championships and had 118 student-athletes sign to play collegiate sports.
Prior to LCA, Mr. Johnson served four years as Executive Director of the Bluegrass Sports Commission, the organization responsible for staging, recruiting and growing sports events in Central Kentucky. This role included selling sponsorships and increasing participation for the Bluegrass State Games and seven other events under the BSC’s umbrella.
Prior to his role with the Bluegrass Sports Commission, Terry served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In that role, Mr. Johnson and his staff were responsible for the marketing, sponsorship sales, ticket sales, hospitality program and trade show efforts of the 2010 Games. Generating more than $73 million in revenue, Terry’s group was an integral part of the 2010 Games’ success and impact on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 2010 Games were the largest sports event to ever take place in this region, attracting more than 500,000 attendees.
Prior to the 2010 Games, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Johnson the first-ever Executive Director of the Kentucky Sports Authority. In that role, he directed the state’s efforts to attract sporting events of all types to the Commonwealth, including the 2008 Ryder Cup (Valhalla) and the 2010 World Equestrian Games, to increase tourism and economic development. Prior to assuming the reigns of the Sports Authority, Johnson served Deputy Commissioner of Tourism for two years.
Early in his career Johnson spent 11 years in collegiate athletics, working for the Big East Conference, the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University and HOST Communications.
A native of Kettering, Ohio, Terry received his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky. He and his wife Cindy (EKU ’90) reside in Lexington and have two grown sons – Matthew and Drew.
