The DP 103: Who made news and lent influence in 2016
Editor’s note: The Daily Pilot 103 is an annual tradition of listing top local newsmakers and most influential people of the past year. This is the final installment, as it is being retired and replaced with Unsung Heroes, a new feature that focuses on people who contribute to their communities but otherwise go unrecognized. Here is the DP 103 for 2016:
1) Jean Watt: The longtime Newport Beach community activist just turned 90, but that didn’t stop her from remaining active in the Museum House issue and other highly visible debates.
2) Steve Ray: The Banning Ranch Conservancy’s executive director played a key role in persuading the California Coastal Commission to reject the proposed $1-billion Banning Ranch development project.
3) Katrina Foley: The Costa Mesa new mayor, a counterpoint to the previous council majority, is now powered by her own majority and plans to reverse some of her predecessors’ policies.
4) Kevin Muldoon: Newport Beach’s newly minted mayor, a member of the influential “Team Newport” bloc on the City Council, is calling for fiscal discipline.
5) Gina Clayton-Tarvin: Ending years of acrimony, the Ocean View School District board president helped forge an agreement to cover a controversial trash facility in the Oak View neighborhood of Huntington Beach.
6) William A. Witte: The chief executive and chairman of Related California won approval to build the Museum House condominium tower in Newport Center but is facing stiff opposition from activists.
7) Jill Hardy: The only incumbent in the Huntington Beach City Council race earned the most votes in a field of 10 and plans to slow high-density, mixed-use development.
8) Sandy Genis: The veteran Costa Mesa councilwoman, known for deeply researching issues, easily won the most votes, and reelection, on Nov. 8.
9) Kobe Bryant: The Newport Coast resident ended his eye-popping 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
10) Toni Iseman: The longtime Laguna Beach City Council member was first elected in 1998 and was just named mayor for the fourth time.
11) Susan Skinner: Newport Beach activist.
12) Dave Ellis: Newport Beach political consultant.
13) Oscar Rodriguez: Co-founder of Oak View ComUNIDAD in Huntington Beach.
14) Peter Navarro: UC Irvine economics professor named head of the White House National Trade Council by President-elect Donald Trump.
15) Diane Dixon: Newport Beach councilwoman.
16) John Stephens: Newly elected Costa Mesa councilman.
17) Allan Mansoor: Newly elected Costa Mesa councilman who was last on the council from 2002 to 2010.
18) Fred Navarro: Newport-Mesa Unified School District superintendent.
19) Keith Curry: Departing Newport Beach councilman.
20) Tony Petros: Departing Newport Beach councilman.
21) Scott Peotter: Newport Beach councilman.
22) Steve Mensinger: Departing Costa Mesa mayor.
23) Todd Smith: Director and chief executive of the Orange County Museum of Art.
24) Jim Righeimer: Costa Mesa councilman.
25) Bob McCaffrey: Newport Beach activist.
26) Ed Selich: Departing Newport Beach councilman who never missed a meeting.
27) Kathy Kramer: OC Fair & Event Center chief executive.
28) Scott Poster: Recently retired Newport Beach fire chief.
29) Marshall “Duffy” Duffield: Newport Beach councilman.
30) Jeff Herdman: Newly elected Newport Beach councilman.
31) Brad Avery: Newly elected Newport Beach councilman.
32) Will O’Neill: Newly elected Newport Beach councilman.
33) John and Elizabeth Stahr: Newport Beach Citizens of the Year.
34) Anton Segerstrom and Sandy Segerstrom Daniels: Managing partners of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons.
35) Donald Bren: Irvine Co. chairman.
36) John Moorlach: State senator.
37) Gary Monahan: Departing Costa Mesa councilman.
38) Barbara Delgleize: Huntington Beach mayor.
39) Lyn Semeta: Newly elected Huntington Beach councilwoman.
40) Erik Peterson: Huntington Beach councilman.
41) Mike Posey: Huntington Beach councilman.
42) Patrick Brenden: Newly elected Huntington Beach councilman.
43) Billy O’Connell: Huntington Beach councilman.
44) Dave Sullivan and Jim Katapodis: Departing Huntington Beach councilmen.
45) Bob Whalen: Laguna Beach councilman.
46) Rob Zur Schmiede: Laguna Beach councilman.
47) Kelly Boyd: Laguna Beach councilman.
48) Steve Dicterow: Laguna Beach councilman.
49) Laura Farinella: Laguna Beach police chief.
50) Robert Handy: Huntington Beach police chief.
51) Jon Lewis: Newport Beach police chief.
52) Rob Sharpnack: Costa Mesa police chief.
53) Joe Stilinovich: Seal Beach police chief.
54) Daniel Llorens: Fountain Valley police chief.
55) Tom Hatch: Costa Mesa city manager.
56) Dave Kiff: Newport Beach city manager.
57) John Pietig: Laguna Beach city manager.
58) Fred Wilson: Huntington Beach city manager.
59) Michelle Steel: Orange County supervisor.
60) Karen Yelsey: Newport-Mesa Unified School District board president.
61) Matthew Harper: State assemblyman, 74th District.
62) Travis Allen: State assemblyman, 72nd District.
63) Gary Sherwin: President and chief executive of Visit Newport Beach.
64) Eileen Benjamin: Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce chief executive.
65) Linda Leonhard: Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce president.
66) James O’Callaghan: Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive.
67) Steve Rosansky: Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce chief executive and president.
68) Laura Henkels: Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce executive director.
69) Howard Gillman: UC Irvine chancellor.
70) Michael Beals: Vanguard University president.
71) Jonathan Burke: Laguna College of Art and Design president.
72) Dennis Harkins: Orange Coast College president.
73) Wes Bryan: Golden West College president.
74) Mike Scheafer: Costa Mesa Sanitary District board president.
75) Ethan Temianka: Mesa Water District board president.
76) John Ginger: Chariman of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
77) Dan Stefano: Costa Mesa fire chief.
78) Amelia and Florent Marneau: Marché Moderne owner-chefs.
79) Robert Braithwaite: Hoag Hospital president and chief executive.
80) Nick Berardino: Orange County Fair Board director.
81) Louis Longi and Chris Dornin: Laguna Canyon artist live-work space developers.
82) Jackie Gallagher: Friends of the Canyon, Laguna Beach.
83) Johanna Felder: Village Laguna president.
84) Keith Matassa: Pacific Marine Mammal Center executive director.
85) Dana Rohrabacher: U.S. representative.
86) Jim and Linda Jordan: Costa Mesa Snoopy House founders.
87) Robin Leffler: Costa Mesans for Responsible Government.
88) Kathy Esfahani: Costa Mesa Affordable Housing Coalition.
89) Tammy Letourneau: Costa Mesa assistant city manager.
90) Rick Francis: Costa Mesa assistant city manager.
91) Tom Johnson: StuNews Newport publisher and president of Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
92) Geoff West: A Bubbling Cauldron publisher.
93) Christopher Trela: Newport Beach Independent editor.
94) Barry Friedland: Costa Mesa Brief.
95) Mike Glenn: Save Newport blog and City Council candidate.
96) Eleanor Egan: Costa Mesa activist.
97) Julie Mercurio and Julie Fowler: Costa Mesa Public Square Facebook page.
98) Tom Pollitt: Newport-Mesa Tea Party Patriots.
99) Jay Humphrey and Cynthia McDonald: Costa Mesa First.
100) Jim Mosher: Newport Beach civic watchdog.
101) Jerry Donohue: Amigos de Bolsa Chica president.
102) Dave White: Edison High School football coach.
103) Local Olympians: April Ross (Costa Mesa), Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach), Maddie Musselman (Newport Beach), Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport), Maggie Steffens (Newport), Sam Mikulak (Newport Coast), Charlie Buckingham (Newport), Luca Cupido (Newport), John Mann (Corona del Mar), Charles Jock (UC Irvine), David Smith (UCI), Phillip Chew (UCI ), Eva Lee (UCI), Persis William-Mensah (UCI), Kevin Tillie (UCI), Tom Shields (Huntington), Taylor Sander (Huntington), Maggie Hogan (Huntington), Jake Gibb (Huntington), Casey Patterson (Huntington), Makenzie and Aria Fischer (Laguna Beach).