Whitefish Carnival king, queen crowned

The Whitefish Winter Carnival has a new king and queen following a Saturday evening coronation of this year’s King Ullr and the Queen of the Snows.

Paul Johannsen will reign as King Ullr LIX. He’s well-known on the carnival circuit. He was named the carnival prime minister in 2012 and has been the chairman of the Winter Carnival board of directors since then.

A fourth generation Montanan, Johannsen is the managing partner of National Parks Realty. He was raised in Sunburst and attended Montana State University and then worked for the Farm Credit System in Bozeman and Missoula. Later he was employed by First Bank/US Bank and First Interstate Bank in Missoula.

Johannsen moved to Whitefish in 2003 to take a job as president of First Interstate Bank. In 2006 he left the banking industry to become the managing member of Great Northern Ventures LLC, a real-estate development company. He’s been with National Parks Realty since 2010.

He has been an active Whitefish community leader, serving on several local boards including the Whitefish Community Foundation, Whitefish Lake Golf Club, Flathead County Economic Development Authority, Glacier Airline Enhancement and Outreach, Inc. (Glacier AERO), North Valley Hospital Foundation and Bulldog Boosters. He has also been active in fundraising for the Memorial Field Stadium and the 2008 High School Bond Committee.

Lani Johnson has been crowned Queen of the Snows. She was born in Hamilton, grew up in Anaconda and moved to Whitefish as a sophomore in high school. Johnson worked at Gordy’s Drive-in as a car hop, then headed to beauty school right after graduation. She first worked at Sandra’s Salon, where Latitude 48 is now located. The salon was moved to its current location and renamed the Hair Hut. Johnson celebrated 50 years in business last July.

An avid skier, Johnson is active with the Big Mountain Ski Club. She’s a longtime Winter Carnival supporter, posing as one of the popular penguins. She received the High Ullr Award along with the other penguins for their many years of service to Winter Carnival.