By Lookout Staff

June 15, 2011 – With so much going on in Santa Monica, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the local business leaders who do so much to make the city a special place to live, work and play.

At its annual installation dinner at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel Thursday, the Chamber of Commerce recognized one of its own, honoring Mary Ann Powell, CEO and general manager of Pacific Park, with a Roy E. Naylor Lifetime Achievement Award for her many years of community involvement.

Mary Ann Powell, CEO and General Manager at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. (Photo Courtesy of Pacific Park)

“I’m truly grateful to be honored with the Roy E. Naylor award from the Santa Monica Chamber,” Powell said. “His commitment to community and family is precisely the same long term objectives I’ve had for Pacific Park and the Pier.”

Active in a variety of local and regional public service efforts, Powell serves on the boards of the Special Olympics Southern California, the Santa Monica History Museum and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. She is also a past-chairman of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau and currently serves on its board as secretary.

As CEO of the largest tenant on the Santa Monica Pier, Powell and her team play a key role in keeping the local economy moving.

The two-acre amusement park draws 4 million visitors to the pier each year, stimulating local businesses and generating substantial tax revenue. It is also Santa Monica’s largest employer of youth.

When it looked like the pier’s 2010 Twilight Dance Series would be cancelled for lack of funding, Pacific Park kicked in $20,000 to save the popular summer concert series.

Powell and Pacific Park have done their part to ensure the Special Olympics Southern California games continue – beginning in 2008 when the park sold its original ferris wheel on E-bay and gave $65,000 of the proceeds to charity.

In addition, the park receives and honors thousands of donation requests each year from schools, churches, youth groups and a variety of other organizations.

Santa Monica Police know they can count on Powell. Pacific Park routinely partners with local law enforcement charities, and in 2004 created PALpalooza, an annual charity event which helps Santa Monica’s Police Activities League (PAL) maintain its programs serving some 1,600 Santa Monica youth.

Police Chief Tim Jackman, applauded Powell and Pacific Park for helping keep Santa Monica safe, healthy and prosperous.

“Safety and security is serious business, but Mary Ann makes it as effortless as a turn on the Ferris wheel,” Jackman said. “During her 13 years on the Pier she has been a vigorous supporter and partner of the Police Department.

“Her support for the Police Activities League is both financial and personal for programs such as PALooween, PALpalooza and the annual PAL Golf Outing,” Jackman said. “Mary Ann’s commitment is a testament to her resolve in making Santa Monica a better, safer place for visitors, businesses and locals alike.”

The chamber’s lifetime achievement award is named in memory of Roy E Naylor, who was president of Naylor’s Paints and a long-time member of the chamber and other local service organizations.

Previous award recipients include Louise and Bob Gabriel, Jean McNeil Wyner, Iao Katagiri, Bob Sullivan, Kristina Andresen, Richard Lawrence, John Bohn and Tom Larmore.

For information about the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce visit www.smchamber.com. For information about Pacific Park visit www.pacpark.com or call 310-260-8744