Disneyland Partnership Award Kept Off Council Agenda in June 2025, Leaving Residents Unaware It Even Occurred

Councilwoman Norma Campos-Kurtz (in yellow) accepting a joint award on behalf of the city for its partnership with the Disneyland Resort in June 2025.

By DUANE J. ROBERTS
Editor & Publisher

The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Anaheim officials participated in a June 11, 2025 gala sponsored by the Association of California Cities–Orange County, where the City of Anaheim and Disneyland Resort were jointly honored with the group’s most prestigious award for their collaborative work on DisneylandForward, a multi‑billion‑dollar expansion of the theme park. Councilmembers and city staff didn’t just witness the presentation—they actively took part in it. Yet six days later, at the June 17th council meeting, no mention of it appeared in official proceedings.

The omission becomes more striking given the treatment of another award the city received at the same ACC‑OC gala: a staff honor presented to Sandra Lozeau, Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development, for her leadership role in tackling homelessness. Her recognition received prominent agenda placement, a detailed staff report, and enthusiastic public remarks during the June 17th meeting. By elevating Lozeau’s award while burying one tied to DisneylandForward, city leadership has raised questions about why information about the latter was withheld from residents.

Screenshot of video from the June 17, 2025 council meeting.

The accolade Anaheim kept off the agenda was the Legacy Award—ACC‑OC’s highest‑tier honor–typically reserved for projects this organization characterizes as structurally transformative and politically significant. Far from a routine commendation, this award spotlights initiatives that reshape how cities negotiate development, manage land‑use authority, and influence regional governance. Within their awards hierarchy, it stands as the strongest endorsement of work they believe will have a lasting imprint on public policy, economic growth, or community planning in Orange County.

The June 11, 2025 gala, formally titled Annual Leadership Summit and Golden Hub of Innovation Awards, was held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda—the same venue where ex‑City Manager James Vanderpool was nominated for an award earlier this year, but ultimately did not receive. ACC‑OC’s executive director is Kris Murray, a former Anaheim councilwoman who received $261,450 in compensation in 2025. Copies of invoices The Investigator obtained through the public records act reveal that the city pays them yearly membership dues of $35,000.

Membership dues for ACC-OC in 2026.

Photographs confirm that four current councilmembers—Norma Campos‑Kurtz, Ryan Bailus, Carlos Leon, and Kristen Maahs—were present, along with Vanderpool. With the exception of Leon, all referenced the ceremony in their public calendars, though in notably vague and ambiguous terms. Vanderpool, usually meticulous about documenting attendees at events he was at, merely listed “City Staff” and “ACC OC members.” Maahs offered more details, but none disclosed which representative from the entertainment giant stepped up and accepted the award shared with Anaheim.

Images show that it was Carrie Nocella, External Affairs Manager for the Disneyland Resort, who eventually took possession of the honor. She arrived at the gala with an entourage of subordinates, including Luis Aleman, who left his job as Political Director of the Orange County Labor Federation to join her team. They posed for the cameras alongside Campos‑Kurtz, Bailus, Maahs, and Vanderpool. Former Anaheim councilman Stephen Faessel also popped up with his wife. Video footage shows Murray stepping into the audience and bringing him up to the stage with everybody else.

Carrie Nocella (in red) accepting the joint award with her team.

Campos-Kurtz and Nocella display award plaques.

The Investigator contacted Chief Communications Officer Mike Lyster and each of the four councilmembers who attended the ACC‑OC Leadership Summit on June 11, 2025 to find out the reason the Legacy Award—recognizing Anaheim’s partnership with the Disneyland Resort on DisneylandForward—was omitted from the June 17th council agenda. Our inquiry focused on why Lozeau’s honor received a full presentation and public acknowledgment at the meeting, while the Legacy Award was not mentioned at all, despite its relevance to one of the city’s most significant development efforts.

“We are proud of our city’s work on DisneylandForward, knowing it will bring years of added funding for public safety, libraries, community centers and other services directly benefiting our community,” Lyster told us via email. He added that “while appreciated, not every recognition we receive is mentioned at Council.” In contrast, he said “recognizing Sandra Lozeau was another matter entirely. We welcomed the opportunity to highlight a longtime employee for her incredible work on affordable housing, addressing homelessness and so many other important issues for Anaheim.”

From the ACC-OC 2025 Annual Report.

Only two councilmembers responded to our questions. Maahs said, “I generally keep my council comments focused on District 5 and events taking place there,” adding “there wasn’t any specific reason I didn’t mention the award.” Leon, for his part, expressed thanks “for all of the work Sandy has done” and stated the recognition she received at the gala was well‑deserved, though he couldn’t stay until the end. He noted his main focus on June 17th was addressing “the fear and uncertainty” caused by recent immigration raids and informing residents about the newly launched Anaheim Contigo initiative.