PRS Appoints Paula Johnston as New Executive Director

The Board of Directors for Plumas Rural Services (PRS) has appointed Paula Johnston as the agency’s new Executive Director. The Board made the appointment at its December 10th meeting, the culmination of six months of consideration of the position, the agency’s needs going forward, and Paula’s vision for the agency as it moves into its 45th year.

Paula joined PRS in 1991 in a clerical and bookkeeping position. After three years getting to know the agency from that perspective, she moved into the position of Human Resource Director for the next 12 years. In 2006, she added Chief Operating Officer of the agency to her duties while continuing to oversee Human Resources for another 10 years. By 2016, her duties were wholly engaged as the COO until the retirement of former Executive Director Michele Piller in May 2024. Paula stepped into the Interim Executive Director position at that time.

“I am incredibly pleased to move forward with PRS in this position,” Paula says. “After working with PRS for over 33 years, I am very excited to further engage our community and partners and provide opportunities to our staff to grow and develop. I look forward to supporting all individuals and families living in Plumas, Sierra, Lassen and Modoc Counties with a variety of services to meet their specific and unique needs. One thing I’m particularly interested in focusing on is increasing our service delivery for the elderly and teen populations in our counties.”

During her time with PRS to date, Paula has championed the agency’s staff, working diligently to develop a professional climate that balances life and work for its employees, values them and their families, and encourages flexibility and recognition for hard work. She has been an unflagging advocate for building collaborative relationships with partners across the agency’s 4-county service area, dedicating countless hours to participating with councils and advisory groups to determine how PRS can best support community-based initiatives and serve its neighbors. Most recently, Paula was the driving force behind the enormous response PRS presented in the face of the Dixie Fire, coordinating services and distribution of resources to fire survivors across Plumas County.

“We are pleased to welcome Paula as our new Executive Director,” says Patty Clawson, PRS Board President. “She will bring experience, enthusiasm and great communication skills to our organization. We look forward to a successful future with her at the helm.”

More information about PRS and its programs, can be found on the Plumas Rural Services (PRS) website at www.plumasruralservices.org.