Johannessen made his living in real estate before being elected to the Redding City Council, where he served as Mayor from 1988 until 1989. In 1990, he won election to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors, serving as its chairman in 1992.
Johannessen's profession was real estate before he became a city council member, where he served as Mayor from 1988 to 1989. He later won an election to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in 1990 and chaired it in 1992.