The Laguna Beach Planning Commission and Mayor Sue Kempf honored Anne Johnson, the longest-serving planning commissioner in Laguna Beach’s history on Dec. 9.
Also the 2016 Laguna Beach Woman’s Club woman of the year, Johnson retired from the Planning Commission earlier this year after 21 years of service. Commissioners have been trying to organize this gathering since last summer but scheduling conflicts made it challenging to get everyone together before December.
“Anne Johnson is an icon of local politics as well as someone who continues to care greatly about our community as we move forward with the times,” Commission Chair Pro Tem Jorg Dubin said in an email.
Johnson served on the planning commission for more than two decades with several years as its chair and at the time of her retirement, was the chair pro tem. She was responsible for the “open for business” program and Leadership Laguna. Among the landmark policies she worked on were the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Downtown Specific Plan.
“She also mentored most of the current serving planning commissioners with her insight, experience, fierce sense of humor and a no-nonsense approach to solving many of the challenges facing our community,” Dubin said. “We all owe her a debt of thanks and gratitude for her service.”
