Anne Ledford Evans died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on Feb 12. Anne contributed mightily to the world around her, whether that community was her family, her circle of friends, a charitable or business organization, the San Diego region, the state of California, or the nation. She was a model of leadership and volunteerism, a pioneering businesswoman, and a respected tourism and civic leader.
As someone with a deep love of San Diego and a desire to improve the region for the benefit of all who call it home, Anne held numerous leadership positions with organizations in a wide variety of areas, from tourism and economic development to education, philanthropy, and public service. Her famous sense of humor and warm demeanor made her a memorable presence equally at home around the family dinner table, in the board room, or at the podium of a charity event.
A second-generation San Diegan, Anne was born at Mercy Hospital to Dr. Roy Merl Ledford and the former Herma Lucille Johns. She grew up in North Park and Point Loma with her parents and siblings, Roy Merl Ledford, Jr., and Lucille Clarice Ledford.
Anne’s independence, magnetic personality, and leadership skills were evident at an early age. At 16, she graduated from Point Loma High School and attended Pomona College, where she served as junior class president before graduating in 1953. She then moved to San Francisco to work for Macy’s as the assistant manager for women’s handbags, umbrellas, and walking sticks.
She met her future husband, William D. “Bill” Evans, while in college. After Bill completed his service in the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy, they reconnected and were married in 1954.
In those early years, the Mission Bay that people know today – the picturesque landscape defined by waving palm trees, water sports, and white sand beaches – was a vision few people could have imagined in the 1950s. Before becoming the nation’s largest “aquatic playground,” it was then a smelly and squalid marsh. When the City of San Diego offered several parcels up for bid and expected multiple offers, there was only one bidder. Seeing the potential and willing to take on the risk, Anne and Bill were awarded the first long-term lease on Mission Bay for the land that would eventually become the Bahia Resort Hotel. Starting with just 52 rooms, the Bahia is the longest-standing lessee of the City of San Diego.
Anne and Bill later created the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in 1959 and developed numerous other commercial properties in Southern California.
During most of those years, Anne was primarily a homemaker, raising five children and providing volunteer services to numerous charitable organizations and political activities. As a noteworthy and sought-after event organizer, she chaired the Charity Ball benefiting Children’s Hospital and numerous political fundraisers, most notably for Pete Wilson, beginning with his time as mayor of San Diego and spanning over his entire career. During that time, she was active in Republican politics, especially in support of governor and later President Ronald Reagan, serving as co-chair for the 1984 Reagan-Bush Committee for San Diego County and serving as a delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention.
Over nearly 30 years, Anne and Bill raised their children, grew their business, and shared a love of community. As the love of Anne’s life, Bill’s sudden passing in 1984 was a devastating loss.
While many encouraged her to leave Evans Hotels behind, Anne was determined to carry on and honor her late husband’s vision of the important role tourism could play in San Diego’s economic development. She was also always acutely aware of the opportunities provided to the company’s dedicated workforce.
Long before it was popular, she believed her primary responsibility as a business owner was to care for her team members. As she was fond of saying, “I don’t just run a business; I am responsible for 1,200 families.”
She worked tirelessly to market San Diego and Mission Bay because growing occupancy meant more hours for employees; she provided medical benefits before it was common, including the earliest domestic partner benefits; and she encouraged and celebrated the diversity of the workforce. The company welcomed and promoted women, people of color, and LGBT individuals from its earliest years, resulting in today’s team, where half their managers are diverse.
Under her leadership, the company embarked on a multi-year plan to redevelop the family’s hotel properties and expand its hospitality products. This began with the construction of a reproduction Mississippi-style sternwheeler in 1985, which was christened the William D. Evans in honor of her late husband.
In 1995, the Evans family acquired a property on the Torrey Pines Golf Courses in La Jolla that became The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Following an extensive redevelopment in 2002, the resort achieved a AAA Five-Diamond ranking in its opening year and has maintained it for the last 22 years.
In addition to building and running her business, Anne was an active civic volunteer. She went on to become one of the first women to serve on a variety of distinguished boards, often in leadership. She joined the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and eventually became only the third woman chair in its 100-plus year history. She also served as chair of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (now the San Diego Tourism Authority) and was on the executive committee of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. She was a founding director of the California State Tourism Commission (now Visit California) and served on the California Chamber of Commerce board.
Always a supporter of the benefits of education, she served as a trustee of her alma mater, Pomona College, on the Founders Circle of the Preuss School, as a commissioner for the UC San Diego Foundation, and on the advisory board of its Rady School of Management. She supported other important San Diego institutions as a trustee of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, member of the Director’s Cabinet of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and director of the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
In addition, she was always willing to serve the public when asked, leading her to serve as San Diego’s chief of protocol under Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who was herself the first woman to hold that position. Anne was later especially honored by her appointment by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to serve as a director of the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which she went on to chair.
In all of those roles, she was a fierce advocate for the tourism industry and its important role in the economic development of the region and state. She consistently reminded anyone and everyone about the importance of the tourism industry to the regional and state economy as well as touting the size and importance of San Diego in matters of statewide concern. Anne was fond of saying that “tourism is the industry of peace.”
Her business acumen was recognized by being asked to serve on numerous corporate boards as well, including San Diego Trust and Savings Bank, Price Enterprises, and the Automobile Club of Southern California, where she was honored as director emeritus upon her retirement from board service. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Corporate Directors Forum for this service.
Throughout her career, Anne has been recognized for her leadership and community contributions. Locally, she was named the Hotelperson of the Year by the San Diego Hotel-Motel Association, a “Courageous Leader” by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and was honored with the San Diego Pioneering Woman Award from the Catfish Club. Her lifetime of dedication to the region has been recognizes with the Neil Morgan Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award from the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Women Who Mean Business Awards from the San Diego Business Journal and the F. Norman Clark Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the California Travel Industry Association.
She has been inducted into the Visitor Industry Hall of Fame by the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (now the San Diego Tourism Authority), San Diego Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of San Diego, and California Tourism Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the California Women’s Museum Hall of Fame in 2024 and called out as a San Diego icon by the San Diego Business Journal.
Anne’s family-run business is rooted in the belief that her hotels are both “of the community” and “for the community.” This was never evidenced more than during the Covid pandemic when all Evans Hotels remained open to provide discounted hotel accommodations to frontline health workers in San Diego’s vital healthcare sector.
Anne’s free time was spent enjoying musical theatre, tending to her rose garden, and caring for her dogs. She loved taking in the least adoptable dogs and giving them the best life possible, usually several at a time.
Anne is predeceased by her parents, siblings, husband, and many dear friends. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as well as many friends, current and former employees, and community members whose lives she touched.
A celebration of life will be held at a date to be determined in the spring at the Bahia Resort Hotel. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego or Baja Animal Sanctuary.
