Central Washington University Athletics

Kari Johnson was named CWU’s head athletic trainer and senior woman administrator (SWA) in 2008.

Johnson is responsible for the athletic training needs of CWU’s 15 varsity sports. She directs a staff of two full-time assistant athletic trainers and four graduate assistants. Johnson’s primary responsibility on-field activity is serving as the trainer for the Wildcat football team. Along with those on-field responsibilities, she also guides organizational planning, university policy development and NCAA policy implementation.  

Prior to becoming the head athletic trainer, Johnson served for four years as an assistant athletic trainer at Central. She worked with the women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball programs in addition to assisting with pre-season camp for the Wildcat football team.

As SWA Johnson serves internally on the athletics executive board, athletic compliance committee, Hall of Fame selection committee and Title IX task force. She is also the athletic department’s liaison to the CWU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she is involved with improving CWU’s student-athlete experience and community engagement. She also works to ensure Title IX standards along with commitment to diversity and inclusion are met.

Externally, she is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s management council and SWA committee, the NCAA Division II west region advisory committee for women’s soccer and the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators legislation and governance committee.

Johnson, a native of Haines, Alaska, earned her bachelor’s degree in 2002 at Eastern Oregon University, where she played women’s basketball for two years (1998-2000) with the Mountaineers.



Started at CWU:
August 2004

Experience:
2008-Present: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) -- Head Athletic Trainer/Senior Woman Administrator
2007-Present: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) -- Lecturer in Emergency Medical Services
2004-2008: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) -- Assistant Athletic Trainer/Senior Woman Administrator
2003-2004: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) -- Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer

Education:
Central Washington University -- Exercise Science
Eastern Oregon University, 2002 -- B.S. in Sports Medicine and Health
Haines High School (AK), 1998

Hometown:
Haines, AK

(Updated 7/23/13)