Trustee Emerita Sarah E. Johnson ’82, P’15 Honored with Laurentian Medal
Over Commencement Weekend, Trustee Emerita Sarah E. Johnson ’82, P’15 was honored with the Laurentian Medal in recognition of more than four decades of high-impact service to her alma mater as an actively engaged alumna, philanthropist, and trustee.
President Kate Morris and Board Chair Jennifer Curley Reichert ’90 welcomed St. Lawrence trustees and friends to a celebratory dinner in the Johnson Hall of Science. This venue holds special significance for Johnson as she was a strong advocate and lead donor for the Johnson Hall building project, helping make it New York state’s first LEED Gold Certified Science Building.
Serving four terms as a trustee from 1999-2023, Johnson was active on numerous committees and held leadership roles in the University’s two most recent comprehensive fundraising campaigns. Dedicated to making the St. Lawrence experience more accessible, she has established scholarships and professorships, and funded strategic University initiatives.
The retired Emmy Award-winning filmmaker is devoted to numerous environmental causes, serving as a trustee for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the Executive Committee and as campaign chair, as trustee for The Woodstock Film Festival and Sustainable Nantucket, and as the conservation chair for the Nantucket Garden Club. She also works with the American Farmland Trust to help create protocols around biochar usage for small- and large-scale farming to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Her certified organic White Feather Farm in Saugerties, New York, is a nonprofit community hub for education and innovation.
