CFSKY
South Central Kentuckians
South Central Kentuckians
of the Year {2025}
The South Central Kentuckian of the Year Award annually honors an individual or organization for excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work and inspiration of others. The purpose of this award is to honor people in the community who are making significant contributions through their life’s work. Every day people in our community make a difference. We want to celebrate these people who make giving back a priority for themselves, their family or their business.
Jim & Darlene Johnston
Jim Johnson is President and Owner of Jim Johnson Nissan Hyundai, which are located on Scottsville Road in Bowling Green, KY.
Jim was born in Morgantown, KY. He is the oldest of eight children, and spent most of his childhood in Morgantown, KY, Canada and Detroit. He served as a Detroit Police Officer from 1960-1968 and was a Federal Agent with the U.S. Treasury Department from 1968-1969. He then moved back to Kentucky where he began his career in the automotive business and has been a automotive dealer since 1972.
He has received numerous awards over the years such as Pontiac “Dealer of Distinction”, Nissan “Award of Merit” and previously was named Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer Award. He has received the WKU Diversity Award, Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Lion’s Club Good Citizen Award and the Western Kentucky University Volunteer Award
Jim is very involved and trusted in the community. He has been a member of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce since 1973, and was named Small Business Person of the Year for 2002. -He has served on the Board of the Salvation Army for 50 years and co-chaired the fundraising effort for the Salvation Army Center for Hope. He is has served as a board member for the Commonwealth Health Care Foundation and Free Clinic. Johnson has served as past president for KADA (Kentucky Automobile Dealer Association), Center for Hope Chairman, past campaign chairman of the United Way, and honorary chairperson for the March of Dimes for over 20 years. He has also served on the Board of the Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission. Johnson also supports the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation, Western Kentucky University Department of Public Safety, Southern Kentucky Book Fest, Orchestra Kentucky, Public Theater of Kentucky, Southern Kentucky Preforming Arts Center, Aviation Heritage Park, BGWC Humane Society and Library Board. Jim proudly served on the Western Kentucky University’s Board of Regents for six years. Jim has been a pilot for 48 years and served as a church deacon for many years.
Jim and Darlene have been married for 65 years. Their daughters, Kim & Lynda, granddaughters Rachel, Jessica and Katlyn and their husbands graduated from WKU and U of L. They have been blessed with eight great grandchildren.
Darlene was office manager for Quality Motel, worked for JM Chick Construction as a cost estimator before working with Jim at the dealership.
Darlene is Secretary/Treasurer of Jim Johnson Nissan Hyundai and has worked beside Jim for 38 years.
Darlene has served on the Board of Medical Center Health Foundation and is currently serving on the Charity Ball committee which provides monies to assist with medical and dental services to our community.
CHARITIES
- SALVATION ARMY
- MEDICAL CENTER HEALTH FOUNDATION
- ARTS OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY
- ORCHESTRA KENTUCKY
- BUTLER COUNTY ARTS
- PREGNANCY SUPPORT CENTER
- WESTERN KENTUCKY STRING ACADEMY (OUTREACH FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN)
- SUZANNE VITALE EDUCATION COMPLEX AT WKU LIFE WORK FOR AUTISM
- MASONIC HOMES OF KENTUCKY
- PUBLIC THEATER OF KENTUCKY
- HISTORIC RAILPARK
- PROCLAIM AVIATION MINISTRIES
- AVIATION HERITAGE PARK
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
- Salvation Army
- Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor for Leadership, Trustworthiness and Patriotism
- Southern Kentucky Libraries
- WKU Diversity Award
- WKU Distinguished Service Award
- WKU Board of Trustees Jefferson Award
The History Behind the Limestone Award
FOUNDATIONAL BEGINNINGSFour Irish immigrants, John J., Peter J., Thomas J. & William J. Murphy established a limestone business in Bowling Green, KY, circa 1886. They were stone masons and engineers known as the MURPHY BROTHERS COMPANY. The brothers operated a stone quarry where they removed and cut limestone for many of the initial infrastructure projects in South Central Kentucky and other parts of the Commonwealth.
Many of the buildings, first constructed more than a century ago, remain today as a testament to the foundation upon which they sit. Some of the most notable are State Street Methodist Church and the Burton Memorial Baptist Church. In addition to buildings, the Murphys quarried and cut the stones for the street curbing for many communities including Bowling Green.
When John J. Murphy’s grandson, G. Michael Murphy began his career in construction in 1976, any opportunity to salvage these “stones of the foundation of our community” was preserved as a memory of their family’s business beginnings in South Central Kentucky.
Just as the philanthropic work of the individuals who receive this award are foundational to their community, the base of this award is salvaged limestone and is intended to represent the purpose of The Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky.
