Gene Johnson ’73 named Carolinas Entrepreneur of the Year

Gene Johnson, chairman and CEO of FairPoint Communications and a 1973 graduate of the Belk College of Business, was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for theCarolinas Region at a black-tie event in Charlotte on June 12.

Gene was recognized as the top entrepreneur in the Telecommunications category. He is now a candidate for the national award, which will be presented in November in conjuction with the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, Calif.

Geneco-founded FairPoint communicationsand has been chief executive officer since January 2002, adding the chairman’s position in January 2003. Before that,Gene led FairPoint’s corporate development efforts as executive vice president. A former captain in the U.S. Army, he started his career as a certified public accountant after graduating from UNC Charlotte in 1973. He owned a cable television construction company and later became head of the mergers & acquisitions group of Cable Investments, Inc. He also served as president and principal shareholder of JC&A, Inc., an investment banking and brokerage firm providing services to the cable TV, phone and related industries.

Gene and his wife Vickie are enthusiastic supporters of UNC Charlotte and the Belk College of Business. A former member of the college’s Business Advisory Council, Gene now serves as a member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trusteees. He also is a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame.