After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 1970, Nancy R. Johnson-Velazco commenced her career in the teaching industry as a secondary Spanish teacher at William Penn School District, holding the role for six years. Interested in pursuing a different career path, she subsequently took business courses at the master’s level with a focus in international marketing. While completing coursework in business administration, she served as an industrial research analyst within the Industrial Research Unit of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1978. Soon thereafter, she received her business degree and went on to work for Eli Lilly and Company, first as a sales representative of pharmaceuticals, then as a market research analyst in headquarters, and finally as the marketing manager in Buenos Aires between 1978 and 1983. Over the years, Ms. Johnson-Velazco served the Schering-Plough Corporation in a plethora of capacities, starting her tenure as the regional marketing director of Latin America in 1983. As her career progressed, she acted as the marketing director of respiratory, dermatology, allergy and antifungals, as well as the senior marketing director of global marketing for allergy, respiratory, dermatology, antifungals, and OTC until retiring from the company in 2004.
From 2004 to 2007, Ms. Johnson-Velazco served as a marketing consultant for her company, Energy Marketing LLC, in her current home of Lakewood Ranch, FL. Subsequent to this, she has been serving as a Community Development District 4 Supervisor since 2007 and Intra-District Authority Supervisor for Lakewood Ranch’s government to the present day. Civically involved as well, Ms. Johnson-Velazco was a former board of trustees member of Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus, NJ, and chair of Schering-Plough Tri-Annual Events at the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, NJ.
During her tenure, Ms. Johnson-Velazco authored two books, “The Political, Economic and Labor Climates in Peru” in 1978 and “The Political, Economic and Labor Climates in Mexico” in 1977. As a testament to her success, she received a New Jersey Humanitarian Award in Healthcare, as well as an Executive Proclamation from the State of New Jersey. However, she cites the highlights of her career to be the opportunities she accepted in working with various pharmaceutical companies. It was here that she realized that the medical science behind a product is important, especially when executing strategic marketing. She was the first female that Eli Lilly and Company sent on an overseas assignment and was a marketing executive in the International Division due to her ability to speak multiple languages, including Spanish, French and Portuguese in both pharma companies. She executed the strategic marketing for several pharmaceutical brands, including CLARITIN, NASONEX, ASMANEX, and steroids.
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