Visitors bureau director abruptly resigns

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- In a sudden and unexpected announcement, Newport

Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau Executive Director John Cassady

resigned on Friday.

Saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, Cassady submitted

his immediate resignation.

“John was a friend and a colleague, and we thank him for the service

he gave to the bureau,” said Linda Mongno, chairwoman of the bureau.

A search for Cassady’s replacement will begin immediately, she said.

But in the interim, “We are very confident that Bridget Lindquist and the

bureau staff will continue to do the great job that they’ve done.”

Cassady, 53, could not be reached for comment; a phone company

recording reported on Friday that his home number in Huntington Beach was

disconnected.

Richard Luehrs, president of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce,

said that in his job at the bureau, Cassady had also proved valuable to

the chamber and the community as a whole.

“John will be missed. He was a terrific associate in promoting

business in Newport Beach, and we thought he did a terrific job,” Luehrs

said. “We wish him well.”

Cassady took over as executive director of the bureau in December

2000. He replaced Rosalind Williams, who died of breast cancer. Cassady,

a district sales manager for American Airlines for 26 years, took on the

job as the bureau’s executive director after serving on the bureau’s

board for more than three years.

As head of the bureau, which has about 250 businesses as members and

an annual budget of about $1.5 million, Cassady led its mission to

promote Newport Beach as a destination for travelers and commerce.

Cassady steered the bureau through tourism’s toughest times right after

the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He also worked to publicize the city

during the Toshiba Senior Classic golf tournament and for other events.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .