Port of San Diego Chair Ann Moore Receives SDAPA Planning Pioneer Award

Recognition honors decades of leadership advancing waterfront planning

Chair Ann Moore of the Board of Port Commissioners has received the 2026 Planning Pioneer Award from the San Diego section of the American Planning Association (SDAPA), a lifetime achievement award recognizing her decades of work advancing major waterfront initiatives, including the nationally recognized Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan and the Port Master Plan Update.

Moore accepted the award during SDAPA's annual recognition event on June 11 at The Lane in San Diego.

The Planning Pioneer Award honors individuals whose work has made lasting contributions to the planning profession through innovation, leadership, and community impact.

"I want to thank the SDAPA for this honor," said Chair Ann Moore. "This award means a great deal to me because it comes from professionals who truly understand the connection between comprehensive planning and providing public benefits, from coastal access to economic opportunity."

Moore was selected for advancing an integrated approach to planning that balances coastal access, economic development, environmental protection, and regional priorities. Her work helped guide the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan from vision to implementation and launched the Port's Integrated Planning initiative, which culminated in the adoption of the Port Master Plan Update by the Board of Port Commissioners in 2024.

"Ann's leadership has helped demonstrate what can happen when public agencies, stakeholders, and communities stay committed to a shared vision," said Elizabeth Ocampo Vivero, Awards Co-Chair for SDAPA. "Her contributions to the Chula Vista Bayfront and the Port's planning efforts set a new standard for waterfront development across California."

"The Planning Pioneer Award recognizes individuals whose contributions change the way planning is practiced," said Chris Luna, Awards Co-Chair for SDAPA. "Ann's persistence and commitment to long-term planning transformed ambitious ideas into lasting public assets - an approach that has benefited the profession overall."

The recognition follows Moore's receipt of the American Planning Association's 2016 National Planning Excellence Award for Planning Advocate, one of the organization's highest honors.

"Anyone who has worked with Ann Moore knows how deeply she cares about San Diego Bay and the communities connected to it," said Port of San Diego President and CEO Scott Chadwick. "She understands that meaningful progress takes patience, collaboration, and a willingness to keep working through challenges. Her ability to bring people together has helped shape projects that will benefit the region and the state of California for generations."

Over more than three decades in public service, Moore has played a key role in some of the region's most significant waterfront initiatives, including the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, which reached major milestones in 2025 with the opening of the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center and Sweetwater Park.