$100,000 gift to Craig School of Business from Johanson family

The Craig School of Business received a $100,000 pledge from Fresno State alumnus Larry Johanson and his wife Patti. The Johanson’s gift will establish the Larry and Patti Johanson Fund at Craig School of Business in support of the dean’s discretionary fund.

Larry Johanson is the president of Johanson Transportation Service (JTS), a third-party logistics provider that helps companies with supply chain management. The Fresno-based company now has seven regional offices across the United States. JTS was founded in 1971 by Johanson’s father Richard.

Johanson worked nights at his father’s company while studying Business Administration at Fresno State. He says the school gave him a knowledge and skill base he could immediately apply in the workplace. Johanson graduated in 1975.

A long-time supporter of the Craig School, Johanson served as chair of the Business Associates board in 2008 and currently serves on the school’s Business Advisory Council. “I got to know the dean, faculty and many of the students,” Johanson says. “I gained great insight into the Craig School through those relationships and got to see first-hand the exciting things happening at the college.”

The Craig School is recognized as one of the best business schools in the state. The nationally-ranked, fully accredited college offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The school was founded in 1928 as the Department of Commerce. In 1992 it was named for Sid Craig, a Fresno State alumnus and co-founder of Jenny Craig International.

“Larry and Patti Johanson have bestowed an incredible gift for the college,” said Dr. Robert Harper, dean of the Craig School. “As part of the discretionary fund, I can maximize the impact of the gift by ensuring the funds are directed to areas with the most need.”

The Johansons have two adult daughters and are expecting their first grandchild in March.

This gift supports the university’s Campaign for Fresno State. The campaign is an initiative to raise $200 million for scholarships, faculty, programs and facilities. As of January 2012, the campaign has raised more than $181 million. It is the first comprehensive campaign in the university’s history and among the largest in the CSU system.

For more information, contact Kathleen Schock, the campaign communications director, at 559.278.2756 or kschock@csufresno.edu.