Longtime local news veteran Tom Johnson, the President of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and publisher of StuNewsNewport, will be awarded the Sky Dunlap Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and community service by the Orange County Press Club.

“I’m very pleased and excited that the club will be honoring Tom Johnson for his decades of service to journalism and the Newport-Costa Mesa community,” said Roger Bloom, the Press Club’s president. “Tom is a great man who embodies the spirit of professionalism and service, and countless people’s lives are better because of his efforts.”

The award will be presented to Johnson at the Press Club’s annual Awards Gala on Monday, May 15, at the Balboa Bay Resort. At the event, the club will also present awards to the winners of its annual Best in Journalism Contest and honor high school and college scholarship recipients. Tickets are available at ocpressclub.com.

StuNewsNewport is a twice-weekly online news source that launched in September 2016 to keep the local community informed and engaged. Johnson also currently serves as president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he is an on-air radio personality on KOCI radio, hosting StuNewsNewport Sunday.

As the long-time publisher of the Daily Pilot from 1991-2008, Johnson oversaw the Los Angeles Times/Times Community News group that included eight community newspapers. During his tenure, the Daily Pilot won numerous awards, including General Excellence, the highest award presented by the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

He also has consulted with clients including Newport Beach Television, the Orange County Register and Firebrand Media/Newport Beach Independent.

Johnson’s involvement in the community has been extensive: Two-time chairman of Hoag Hospital’s 552 Club; Past president of Orange County Youth Sports Foundation;  Past president and long-time board member of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Past skipper of the Newport Beach Commodores Club; Past board member and two-time chairman of Visit Newport Beach; Past board member, president and founder of CM 900; Past board member of Costa Mesa United, Newport Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club, Choose Nursing/Choose Hoag, Irrelevant Week and San Diego State University’s Orange County Council.

He was named Newport Beach Citizen of the Year, 2011; Costa Mesa Man of the Year, 1998; Newport Beach Commodore of the Year, 1999; and received the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Silver Anchor Award in 2006, Hoag Hospital’s Presidents Circle Award in 2007 and Visit Newport Beach’s Partners in Progress Award for 2009-10.

Johnson resides in Newport Beach. He has two grown daughters, Ashley and Victoria, and a 6-month-old granddaughter, Kate. In his leisure time, he enjoys golf, reading, and following University of Arizona sports.