Nicole Johnson Baker
Encyclopedia
Nicole Johnson is an American pageant titleholder from Seminole, Florida
who held the Miss America
title in 1999. She is now a diabetes
advocate, having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
in 1993.
and placed third runner-up in the Miss Florida USA
1997 pageant. After moving to Virginia
to pursue post-graduate education at Regent University she continued competing and placed in the top ten at Miss Virginia
1997. In March 1998 she won the Miss Lynchburg title and went on to win the Miss Virginia
1998 title on June 29, 1998.
In September Johnson represented Virginia in the Miss America 1999
pageant, becoming the second woman representing that state to win the Miss America title. She sang That's Life
in the talent competition.
and is a 1998 graduate of the School of Communication & the Arts of Regent University
in Virginia
. She also has a Master of Public Health
degree from the University of Pittsburgh
gained in 2007. Johnson is currently a doctoral student in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida.
in the 1990s and had testified in legislative hearings in Washington, D.C.
prior to winning the Miss Virginia title. In 1997 she started wearing a miniature insulin pump on her hip to control her illness, which she wore while competing at Miss Virginia and Miss America. Prior to winning the Miss America title she had worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network
in addition to her diabetes advocacy.
In March 2005, Johnson became the anchor of dLife
, a weekly TV series about diabetes that airs on CNBC
. She has written four books: three cookbooks with Mr. Food
and her autobiography Living with Diabetes. She works full time as a diabetes advocate and patient care expert. Her consulting clients include Animas Corporation
, AmMed Direct LLC and Eli Lilly and Company
. She also works with the University of South Florida. She is the Executive Director of Bringing Science Home. She specializes in communications, public health, and development.
, a former WTAE-TV
anchor, in 2003. The couple's daughter, Ava Grace Baker was born on January 7, 2006. She and Baker separated in 2006 and divorced in 2008, she currently resides with her daughter in Clearwater, Florida
.
Seminole, Florida
Seminole is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,890 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 19,195. St. Petersburg College has a campus in the city.-Geography:...
who held the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
title in 1999. She is now a diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
advocate, having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
in 1993.
Pageants
Johnson first started competing in pageants in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and placed third runner-up in the Miss Florida USA
Miss Florida USA
The Miss Florida USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Florida in the Miss USA pageant.While Florida has been successful in terms of runners-up, finalists and semi-finalists, the state has never won the Miss USA pageant, although Cheryl Patton became Miss USA...
1997 pageant. After moving to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to pursue post-graduate education at Regent University she continued competing and placed in the top ten at Miss Virginia
Miss Virginia
The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s...
1997. In March 1998 she won the Miss Lynchburg title and went on to win the Miss Virginia
Miss Virginia
The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s...
1998 title on June 29, 1998.
In September Johnson represented Virginia in the Miss America 1999
Miss America 1999
Miss America 1999, the 74th Miss America, pageant, was from on the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 19, 1998 on ABC Network.- Results :* Miss America 1999: Nicole Johnson * The runners-up were:...
pageant, becoming the second woman representing that state to win the Miss America title. She sang That's Life
That's Life (song)
"That's Life" is a popular song written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon for Frank Sinatra, and released on his 1966 album of the same name. Both the album and the song proved major successes for Sinatra...
in the talent competition.
Education
Johnson holds a BA in English from the University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
and is a 1998 graduate of the School of Communication & the Arts of Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. She also has a Master of Public Health
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
The Graduate School of Public Health is one of 17 schools comprising the University of Pittsburgh. The school, founded in 1948, was first led by Thomas Parran, surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service. It is ranked as the 11th best such school in the United States by US News and World...
degree from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
gained in 2007. Johnson is currently a doctoral student in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida.
Career
Johnson became a spokesperson for the American Diabetes AssociationAmerican Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is a United States-based association working to fight the consequences of diabetes, and to help those affected by diabetes...
in the 1990s and had testified in legislative hearings in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
prior to winning the Miss Virginia title. In 1997 she started wearing a miniature insulin pump on her hip to control her illness, which she wore while competing at Miss Virginia and Miss America. Prior to winning the Miss America title she had worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network
Christian Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
in addition to her diabetes advocacy.
In March 2005, Johnson became the anchor of dLife
DLife
dLife is the first integrated media network for people living with diabetes, their families, and those at risk of developing diabetes. dLife was established to address the overwhelming consumer need for real, practical solutions to the 24/7 challenge of managing diabetes vs. episodic clinical...
, a weekly TV series about diabetes that airs on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
. She has written four books: three cookbooks with Mr. Food
Mr. Food
Art Ginsburg, commonly known as Mr. Food, is a television chef and best selling author of cookbooks who emphasizes simple recipes. He is the originator of "quick & easy cooking" who, for the past 30+ years, has paved the way for TV food personalities who have followed. With his enthusiastic style,...
and her autobiography Living with Diabetes. She works full time as a diabetes advocate and patient care expert. Her consulting clients include Animas Corporation
Animas Corporation
Animas Corporation is an American company that specializes in making insulin pumps, used by people with diabetes. The company was founded by Dr. Katherine Crothall in 1996, had its initial public offering in May 2004 under the ticker symbol 'PUMP', and was ultimately acquired by Johnson & Johnson...
, AmMed Direct LLC and Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
. She also works with the University of South Florida. She is the Executive Director of Bringing Science Home. She specializes in communications, public health, and development.
Personal life
Johnson married Scott BakerScott Baker (journalist)
Scott Baker is an American journalist, commentator, blogger, online talk show host, educator, and political campaign worker...
, a former WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV is the ABC affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 . It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia market areas...
anchor, in 2003. The couple's daughter, Ava Grace Baker was born on January 7, 2006. She and Baker separated in 2006 and divorced in 2008, she currently resides with her daughter in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
.