Gail W. Johnson

When it came time for Gail W. Johnson, R.N. (B.S.’67, M.S.’76) to apply for college, the aspiring nurse looked to the Medical College of Virginia, where, as a child, she’d had surgery.

“MCV was the only place I applied,” Johnson said. “It really changed my life. I loved maternal child nursing, and because I earned a master’s degree in nursing education, I was able to teach what I love. My career has always focused on parents, children and families.”

Johnson’s love of family, combined with her experience as a pediatric nurse and teacher, led to an unusual career path: She turned her skills and talent into a thriving enterprise, as the founder and owner of Rainbow Station Inc., a unique international early education franchise that includes school-age recreation and options for parents with mildly ill children.

In recognition of her work with Rainbow Station Johnson was awarded the 2015 March of Dimes Virginia Nightingale Award. This annual award recognizes a Virginia nurse who is also a successful business leader in the commonwealth. Johnson was honored for her compassion and her devotion to the community and the discipline of nursing as well as for her entrepreneurial creativity and success.

Also in 2015, she was inducted into the Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame. Inductees are chosen for their contributions to business and the Richmond area.

Johnson hopes to spark new ways of thinking for future students at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing. In 2013, she made a $250,000 gift to establish the Gail W. Johnson Professorship for Innovation Leadership.

Johnson, who was also chair of the MCV Foundation board of trustees, appreciates her time as a student on the MCV Campus and hopes to inspire future nursing leaders with her gift.

“VCU has been a phenomenal gift to me, and I wanted to do something that gave back to the School of Nursing and to challenge future nurses to think outside the box. You can carve your own path, and nursing is a great way to do that.”