Dedra Johanneson Elected Vice Chair of National SCORE Board of Directors

Successful Entrepreneur & Businesswoman Brings Management & Entrepreneurship

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dedra Johanneson of Scottsdale, Ariz., has been elected Vice Chair for SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." Johanneson will help lead SCORE's mission to grow 1 million small businesses by 2017 through a national network of more than 12,400 volunteer mentors. Her term as vice chair begins October 1. Learn more about SCORE at www.score.org.

Johanneson owns 19 Mystic Mountain LLC, a real estate investment company. Previously, she and her husband founded Johanneson's of WI, Inc., where she served as president and CEO. The company owned a chain of Pick'n Save Supermarkets employing 400 people with revenues of $40 million.

Johanneson also founded An Open Mind, Inc., which operated a training company and speakers bureau in the Fox Cities, Wisc., area. She developed and managed the business for eight years, serving as president and CEO. Clients included Kimberly Clark, Procter & Gamble, Fox Valley Technical College, Ameritel Phone Company, Roundy's, Good Humor Breyer, Farm Credit, and Presto Products.

Johanneson joined SCORE in 2004 as a volunteer business mentor. She has served in several leadership positions at the Greater Phoenix SCORE chapter. In 2007, she received the Arizona Women in Business Champion of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

SCORE Board Chair Doug Kindred says, "Dedra Johanneson is a dedicated SCORE leader and a successful business owner who brings a wealth of mentoring and management experience to SCORE." Kindred adds, "Dedra is committed to helping small businesses start and grow. She understands what it takes to create opportunities for success."

About SCORE: Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 8.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 12,400 business experts volunteer as mentors in 364 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at www.score.org and www.score.org/women. Connect with SCORE at www.facebook.com/SCOREFans, http://twitter.com/SCOREMentors and www.scorecommunity.org.

CONTACT: Tammy Cason, Online & Social Media Manager of SCORE Association, +1-800-634-0245, [email protected]

SOURCE SCORE Association