Valley Queen Honors Lance Johnson For 30 Years of Service

Lance Johnson, senior project manager at Valley Queen, is being honored this month for reaching a remarkable milestone — 30 years with the company and still going strong. To mark Lance’s 30th anniversary, Jon Rogers, director of communications at Valley Queen, said,  “Lance has been a steady, influential force behind the scenes for three decades, helping shape the culture, drive improvement, and mentor those around him.” 

Lance began his Valley Queen journey in 1995 and quickly found inspiration in those he worked alongside, especially Max Gonzenbach and Rudy Nef. According to Lance, their open-minded leadership and encouragement left a lasting mark on his career.

“I learned so much from Max and Rudy,” Lance said. “Their encouragement to try ideas without fear of failure gave me the confidence to grow.” Lance also credits them with instilling values in him  that go far beyond the factory floor. “Before I started here, I couldn’t even spell philanthropy, but they taught me that giving back is the greatest thing a person can do.”

“That sense of purpose shows in everything Lance does,” said Rogers. “Over the years, he’s led several process improvements, most notably in the whey evaporator—where his efforts increased capacity by 20 percent—and in the unloader area – where he helped redesign the entire setup to keep hoses off the floor and improve safety.”

But ask Lance about his accomplishments, and he’ll likely point to moments that have nothing to do with numbers or titles. “One of the greatest compliments he says he’s ever received came during a grueling cleanup of the old evaporator’s triple tubes. It was hot, miserable work, but Lance didn’t hesitate to jump in,” said Rogers. “A surprised operator watched him scrubbing and said, ‘I didn’t know a brush would fit in your hand.’ That kind of hands-on leadership, grounded in humility and respect, is precisely what makes Lance so admired by his peers.”

When asked to sum up his three decades at Valley Queen, Lance didn’t need many words. He merely said, “Blessed.” 

“We feel the same way, Lance,” said Rogers. “Congratulations on 30 years of exceptional service, impact, and example. Valley Queen is better because of you!”

Submitted Photo: Lance Johnson and CEO Doug Wilke