Guest Letter

Kurt Bjorkman

Chairman of the Board, Visit Laguna Beach

COO, The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Saying farewell to Visit Laguna Beach’s Ashley Johnson

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson has dedicated the last 16 years in helping make Laguna Beach one of the most respected and thoughtful beach cities in the world. In her role as President & CEO of Visit Laguna Beach, Ashley has garnered the respect of her peers and colleagues and has won just about every award someone in her role could receive! Check out her official bio, here. Those awards and accolades, the respect she has in our industry, pale in comparison to her kindness, enthusiasm, dedication and creativity that she has brought to our little seaside village. 

Ashley lights up any room she walks into, if you are lucky enough to have worked with Ashley and call her a friend, you know just how incredibly special she is and how much she has done for Laguna Beach.

So, it is with both excitement and sadness that I have to announce that Ashley is leaving her role with Visit Laguna Beach and has accepted an incredible and well-earned executive position in a city just north of us. It’s no Laguna Beach, but it’s a respectable destination, obviously smart enough to know that getting Ashley on their team will be massively beneficial. They will no doubt benefit and become an even better city with Ashley amongst the ranks!

Officially, she is joining Newport Beach & Company as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, a role seemingly designed for her incredible talents and industry knowledge.   

Ashley’s last day here at Visit Laguna Beach will be October 7th. Please join me, the staff and the rest of the board here at Visit Laguna Beach in congratulating Ashley on her next adventure. She’s not going far and will remain part of the fabric of South OC for a very long time.

Kurt Bjorkman is the COO of The Ranch at Laguna Beach and serves as the Chairman of the Board for Visit Laguna Beach.