2018 Citizen of the Year Gala Honoring Debbie Snavely

Debbie’s distinguished career with Marriott International began 33 years ago as a front desk intern at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel. Over the next 15 years, she remained in Anaheim, gaining invaluable leadership experience as Front Office Manager, Director of Convention Services, Director of Event Management, and ultimately Resident Manager. During her tenure there, Debbie also championed several corporate-related initiatives. For the past 18 years, Debbie has served as General Manager at various hotels in Southern California.

Over the course of her career, Debbie was a part of the opening team for several hotels, domestically and internationally, including Surfer’s Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Going beyond her day job overseeing the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa, Snavely chairs the Newport Beach tourism business improvement district board and the board of directors for Newport Beach & Co., the city’s destination marketing agency. She’s also a member of the Chamber of Commerce Commodores Club and is a member of its board of directors, also playing host and organizer of the organization’s Fire and Lifeguard Appreciation Dinner.

Chamber President Steve Rosansky notes Snavely personally makes the centerpieces for the Chamber’s Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade awards dinner. Gary Sherwin, Newport Beach and Co.’s President said she transcends the hospitality business, with gestures like providing lunches for meetings of the Newport Beach Foundation leadership development organization.

As part of her commitment to further excel in leadership, Debbie has held several high-ranking positions within the community. They include Chairman of Marriott’s Orange County Business Council; Co-chair of Marriott’s Western Region Diversity Council and Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the Orange County Ronald McDonald House.

She’s an Orange County native, born and raised in Garden Grove, and studied hospitality at Cal State Fullerton. She lives in Corona del Mar with her husband, Ned.

Past Newport Beach Citizens of the Year

1949
Robert “Bob” Murphy

1950
Harry Welch

1951
Robert Callis

1952 Myford Irvine

1953
O.W. “Dick” Richards

1954
Dora O. Hill

1955
Joseph A. Beek

1956
Edward Milum, M.D.

1957
J.L. “Les” Steffensen | James “Jim” Edwards

1958
William “Bill” Spurgeon

1959
David Nielsen, M.D.

1960
Gerald Lynch

1961
Carroll Beek

1962
Paul A. Palmer

1963
Dr. Basil H. Peterson

1964
Robert Reed

1965
Isabel Pease

1966
Theodore Robins

1967
John Murdy

1968
Judge Robert Gardner  |  Walter Longmoor

1969
A. Vincent Jorgenson

1970
Fred Schope

1971
John Macnab  |  Doreen Marshall

1972
John Lawson

1973
Phil Tozer

1974
George Hoag

1975
Richard “Dick” Stevens

1976
Ray Watson

1977
Arvo Haapa

1978
Robert Wynn

1979
T. Duncan Stewart

1980
Robert Shelton

1981
William P. Ficker  |  Bill Banning

1982
Harry Babbitt

1983
J. Peter Barrett

1984
William D. Lusk

1985
Charley Hester

1986
Jackie Heather

1987
Bob McCurdy

1988
Hans Prager

1989
Bill Hamilton

1990
Paul Salata

1991/92
Jim Dale

1992/93
Art Gronsky

1993/94
Bob Robins

1994/95
Michael Stephens

1995/96
Lucille Kuehn

1997
Rush N. Hill, II

1998
Marian Bergeson

1999
Clarence “Bus” Turner

2000
Thomas C. Edwards

2001
Dayna Pettit

2002 Bill Grundy

2003
Scott Paulsen

2004
William Ring

2005
Seymour Beek

2006
Dennis O’Neil

2007
Evelyn Hart

2008
Lula Halfacre

2009
Norm Loats, E.d.D

2010
Ralph Rodheim

2011/12
Tom Johnson

2013
Jean Watt

2014
Jack and Nancy Skinner

2015
Paul Watkins

2016
John and Elizabeth Stahr

2017
Homer Bludau