Ronald R. Johnson was born on May 31, 1933, and raised in Greenland, Michigan. He graduated from high school in 1951, married in 1952, and has four children. Ron worked in lumber, construction and the mining industries in Michigan until moving to Oakland, California, in 1955.

On May 18, 1956, Ron hired out as a brakeman in freight services for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company on the Western Division and District at Oakland, California. He was promoted to conductor in 1963 and worked the balance of his railroad career out of Oakland, retiring from service in May, 1995, with the exception of borrowing (loaned) out at Yuma, Arizona, and Tracy, California.

During the ensuing years, Ron worked in freight service out of Oakland to Roseville, Tracy, San Francisco and San Luis Obispo, as both conductor and brakeman. In passenger service, he worked out of Oakland to Klamath Falls, Sparks, Fresno, Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo, as a conductor, brakeman and baggageman. During his railroad career, he had the opportunity to work on steam, diesel electric and diesel hydraulic locomotives.

In 1974, Ron was elected to the position of Local Chairman and Convention Delegate for the Conductors and Brakemen in the United Transportation Union Local 239, assuming the positions on January 1, 1975. In 1975, he was elected to the position of Legislative Representative for Local 239 and held all of those positions until December 31, 1994.

After moving to Gardnerville, Nevada, in the fall of 1995, Ron went into the consulting business, working for various law firms in California and Nevada. In September, 1999, he began his work as a consultant exclusively with the Hildebrand, McLeod & Nelson law firm.