Summerfield Johnston III
Summerfield Johnston III | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 January 1954 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | 5 April 2007 (aged 53) Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, polo player |
| Years active | 1970s–2007 |
| Known for | Coca-Cola Enterprises executive, polo athlete |
Summerfield Johnston III, often referred to as Skeeter Johnston (1954–2007), was a notable American entrepreneur and accomplished polo athlete.
Early life
Johnston was born on January 8, 1954, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He completed his early education at Bright School and Baylor School in Chattanooga before earning his degree from Eckerd College located in St Petersburg, Florida. He descended from a prominent lineage as the great-grandson of James F. Johnston, who established the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, recognized as the inaugural Coca-Cola franchisee. His father, Summerfield Johnston, Jr., held the positions of chairman and CEO at Coca-Cola Enterprises. Summerfield had three sisters—Katherine Johnston Tudor, Lavinia Johnston, and Gillian Johnston—as well as a brother named Robert Johnston.
Career
Johnston embarked on his professional journey within the family’s Coca-Cola Bottling Company, where he took on leadership of the food and restaurant division alongside managing its Australian branch, WinPac Ltd. He subsequently directed operations at both the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Northwest based in Minneapolis and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Cleveland, Tennessee. After the 1991 consolidation of Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group with Coca-Cola Enterprises, his responsibilities expanded to roles such as Vice President of Human Resources, Senior Vice President and President of the Eastern North American Group overseeing bottling activities across the eastern United States, as well as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer. He concluded his tenure at Coca-Cola Enterprises in 2004 but continued contributing as a board member until 2007.
Beyond Coca-Cola, he contributed his expertise to various corporate boards including those of Krystal restaurant chain, MetalTek International specializing in specialty metal casting, SunTrust Bank of Chattanooga, Southern Screens Entertainment which operates real estate and cinemas in Argentina, and e-Skye Solutions focusing on channel management software. Moreover, he was a trustee for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Polo
Over a span of 35 years, Johnston was deeply involved in polo. He served as a governor-at-large for the United States Polo Association and played an instrumental role in founding the North American Polo League in 2005. As a key partner at the Flying H Polo Club situated in Big Horn, Wyoming, he also patronized and played for the Skeeterville team. Under his captaincy, teams secured victories in prestigious competitions such as the $100,000 Gold Cup (1988), Cartier International Open (1982), USPA Heritage Cup twice, and the Hall of Fame Cup in 2003. His squads additionally finished as runners-up three times in the U.S. Open Polo Tournament.
Personal life
Johnston was married to Leslie Buttram Johnston; together they had one daughter named Louisa. Their residences included Palm Beach, Florida, and Big Horn, Wyoming.
Death
On April 5, 2007, while preparing for the Stanford U.S. Open championships at Palm Beach International Polo Club, he suffered a fatal horse-related accident.