To know Johnny Farris is to know his smile, his authenticity, and his unwavering commitment to give back to his fellow veterans, and their families. Johnny, a U.S. Army brat, moved every three to four years based upon his father’s assignments, and lived in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kansas, Georgia, and Germany. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where his assignments took him to New Mexico, Alaska, Virginia, New Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Florida. While enlisted, he deployed to South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East until he separated from service in 2014 after 20 years of serving our great nation. 

Post-retirement, Johnny poured into the needs of his fellow veterans as a Veteran Care Coordinator at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. He joined Operation New Uniform in the fall of 2023 to empower active duty servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses to successfully transition from military life to purposeful, stable careers. If you ask him, he will tell you that he has “found his home with Operation New Uniform.” Every day, his goal is to network within the community to bring awareness to Operation New Uniform, to mentor past and current students just like him. His passion to serve others was recognized by the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, who recently appointed him to the position of “Ambassador.” Leadership and service to others is the hallmark of Johnny Farris.

His proudest accomplishment is his two daughters, one of which is still in high school and the other is a student at Louisiana State University where she plans to be a broadcast journalist. If you ask them, their Dad is their hero.