Today's Featured Biography

 
Rick Johnston

In my last two years of college I became interested in Asia and particularly China. After a two-year English teaching fellowship in Taiwan I stayed a third year to study Chinese, before returning to graduate school for an MA and not quite a PhD.

In 1974 I began my banking career at the Chase Manhattan Bank. After completing a training program that year, I was assigned to Chase's Tokyo branch (1975--7 months) and subsequently to Taipei Branch (1975-1979), Hong Kong Branch (1979-1981), the Beijing Rep Office (1981-1983) and back to New York Head Office (1983-1986).

My wife Diane and I met in 1978 when she was on her first overseas assignment with the United States Information Agency at what was then the American Embassy in Taiwan. We were married in 1979 and managed "tandem" assignments with our respective organizations in Hong Kong, Beijing and New York until 1986.

In 1986 I began a 7-year stint with the US Government: initially with the Foreign Commercial Service as Commercial Minister (1986-1988), then back in DC as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration (1988-1993). Everyone should have at least some experience working for the Government.

In 1993 Diane and I set up our own company, EEI, Inc, and we have been doing China-related business consulting ever since. A number of ups and downs in this business, but still going reasonably strong.

January, 2015 Update:
We settled in Alexandria, Virginia when we came back from China in 1988. Son Richard was born in 1990; he graduated from the University of Virginia in 2013 where he enlisted in Army ROTC and is now serving in the Army's 25th Infantry, Artillery Division in Hawaii.

Daughter Di is a voice-over specialist, married and living in New York City with husband Stephen Spruiell, sons Jack and Hank (now 5 and 3 years old respectively), and daughter Charlotte, born this past Dec 17.

Daughter Nathalie was married last April (2014) to Tim Millar and currently dividing her time between Beijing China (where Tim works) and Yan'gon, Myanmar (Burma). Her Master's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Manchester/ Sotheby Institute in Singapore has led to a career focusing on introducing Myanmar art and artists to the world. Needless to say, I remain very lucky to have Diane and these other bright lights in my life.

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