November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 23

Meet the Mayor
Hernando, Mississippi's
Chip Johnson
By Kevin O'Hara

hip Johnson has championed some major changes in Hernando, Mississippi, during his three terms as mayor. Before taking office in 2005,
his town was often identified as one with embarrassingly high obesity
rates in a state renowned for its overweight population. But, in 2010, Johnson helped to reverse that perception as Hernando was dubbed the " Healthiest
Hometown " by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. The
accolade is reserved for one city in the state that is determined to be doing the
most to promote a culture of health through sustainable policy changes. That
same year, he was one of only two mayors in the country selected to help First
Lady Michelle Obama kick off her Let's Move! campaign to reduce childhood
obesity. Adding to his health and wellness bonafides, Johnson is a board member of Bike Walk Mississippi, the state's bicycle and pedestrian advisory group,
and he has presided over several related citywide initiatives, including supporting sidewalks, signage and the Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School
programs. We were able to coax Johnson off his bicycle long enough to learn
more about what health and wellness in Hernando looks like these days.
Parks & Recreation Magazine: In
2006, you decided Hernando needed
a park and recreation department.
What factors influenced your decision? How have your measured your
city's return on this investment?
Mayor Chip Johnson: The citizens
of Hernando told me that they wanted a parks and rec department when
I was serving as alderman from 20012005. When I ran for mayor in 2005,
I listened to the voters and made the
parks and rec department a major
piece of my platform.
P&R: What lessons learned or advice would you have for other mayors or city leaders interested in creating a parks department?
Mayor Johnson: My advice is to
just get started on something today.
If you wait for all of the stars to
align perfectly, you will never start

a parks department. You will find
that as you finish one portion of the
department, a new need will move
to the forefront, and before you
know it, you will have a full-fledged
parks and rec department.
P&R: What other policies have you
and your council implemented that
have allowed Hernando to lead in
promoting healthy, active living?
Mayor Johnson: We have enacted
a Complete Streets policy in Hernando. We also work very closely
with our school district on joint-use
agreements. If we weren't able to
use the school gyms, there would
not be a Hernando basketball
league. We were also the seventh
city in the state to become comprehensively smoke-free in 2007. The
Board [of Aldermen] has also enacted a policy that allows our em-

Mayor
Chip Johnson

ployees to be paid for four hours
while they go to the doctor for their
annual wellness visit, which does
not even cost them a copay.
P&R: I loved your quote, " It's my job
to create an atmosphere and an
opportunity for good health. If you
want to take advantage of it, that's
great; if you want to stay at home
on your couch, go ahead. " Does it
seem as though your constituents
have taken advantage of this opportunity?
Mayor Johnson: We have found that
as we build or repair sidewalks and
stripe new bike lanes, people immediately start taking advantage of the
opportunity to safely exercise.
P&R: Quality of life means a lot of
different things to different people, but in Hernando, it seems that

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