Carolyn Johnsen (Vice Chair, 2019-2020) is a partner and member of Dickinson Wright PLLC, a 450-person law firm with 18 offices nation-wide and in Toronto. She practices in Phoenix, Arizona where she focuses on business restructurings, asset sales and acquisitions, commercial transactions and turnaround management. She has over 30 years of experience in creating complex restructuring plans for multi-million dollar companies in multiple industries.
Ms. Johnsen was recently recognized nationally by the Turnaround Management Association and the M&A Advisor for her successful reorganization of two companies in 2016-17. She was named by Arizona Business Magazine as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Arizona (2017) and as one the Most Influential Women in Arizona (2015). She recently co-chaired the national alumnae of the DirectWomen Board Institute dedicated to advancing the selection of women to serve on corporate boards.
Ms. Johnsen served on the Board of Directors of Valley Commerce Bank, a publicly-held Arizona bank, from inception in 1995 until its profitable sale in 2005. In 2006, she founded Arizona’s Credit Abuse Resistance Education program designed to teach high school and college students about financial responsibility.
Other community service has included serving on the Board of Directors and as chief financial officer for the Arizona chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and chairing the Arizona Council for Women responsible for coordinating women organizations representing over 84,000 women. In 2009, Ms. Johnsen received the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor Law School Distinguished Achievement Award as co-chair of the committee that raised the funds to revitalize programs in Justice O’Connor’s honor.
Ms. Johnsen has lectured widely, over 100 presentations, and written extensively on business and restructuring topics for national and local audiences. In 2003, she published a cookbook entitled Oh, What to Eat! Quick Comfort Foods for Super Busy People.
Prior to private practice, Ms. Johnsen served as Assistant Dean of the Texas Tech University School of Law. She holds a B.S degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University, a J.D degree from Texas Tech University, and an M.A. degree in Military History from Norwich University.