Paul P. Johnston is considered one of the most influential people in the New England dairy industry. A consummate leader and tireless visionary, he has had a profound effect on Northeast dairy farmers and was instrumental in positioning the iconic Cabot brand in retail outlets throughout the region. Johnston was named president and CEO of Agri-Mark when it was formed in 1980. Agri-Mark merged with Cabot Creamery of Vermont twelve years later, paving the way for a new era of milk marketing for dairy farmers in the Northeast under their own award-winning brand name. Today, Agri-Mark sales, including Cabot, have increased to more than $760 million worldwide. The cooperative, under Johnston’s leadership, has become one of the largest farmer-owned businesses in the Northeast.