Visit Huntington Beach President and CEO Kelly Miller to retire in October

Kelly Miller wants to visit Joshua Tree.

To help make that happen, he’s stepping down as president and chief executive of travel marketing organization Visit Huntington Beach, effective Oct. 15.

Miller, who has been at the helm of Visit Huntington Beach for 12 of the nearly 35 years he’s worked in the visitor industry, decided it’s a good time to retire and enjoy life with his wife.

“I do believe that as we get to the next chapter and hopefully the next third of my life, because I do want to try to live to be 100, those priorities change,” said Miller, 67, in an interview Monday. “You have a sense in your own skull that those priorities are changing and you want to do more hobbies or travel more, and you aren’t as excited about the things you used to be excited about when I was younger in the hospitality industry.

“I love to ride my bike, I love Orange County and I love Huntington Beach, and I want to really enjoy the time we have here within this region. I’ve never been to Joshua Tree, for example. These are the things that we talk about, but before you know it we’re in the middle of COVID and all of these things start to happen.”

Miller feels that under his leadership, Visit Huntington Beach has solidified Surf City’s status as a premier destination for travelers, events and “beach-wide” conventions, delivering on the brand promise of being the quintessential California beach destination.

Visit Huntington Beach President and CEO Kelly Miller notes Surf City welcomed 2.34 million non-Orange County visitors last year, a 4.4% increase from the year before.

(File Photo)

Miller, whose organization hosted the biannual Tourism Summit last month, noted that Huntington Beach welcomed 2.34 million non-Orange County visitors last year, a 4.4% increase from 2023. Roughly two-thirds of the city’s visitors overall are repeat visitors.

“If you lay that foundation right and the team is delivering on what the board’s expectations are, the question becomes, do you mail it in or do you look to do the next chapter?” Miller said. “Leaving on one’s own terms is very important.”

During his tenure, Visit HB reached a 10-year funding agreement with the city of Huntington Beach, and saw three Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessment increases.

Justin Simpson, the Visit HB board chairman and general manager of Kimpton Shorebreak Huntington Beach Resort, said Miller’s ability to balance forward-thinking strategy with a results-based approach has served the city well.

“While we will deeply miss his presence, we fully support Kelly’s decision to retire and are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind,” Simpson said in a news release. “Under his leadership, VHB has not only achieved national recognition, including DMAP accreditation from Destinations International, but has also twice been named one of the best places to work in Orange County. His impact will be felt for years to come.”

Miller held destination leadership roles in Juneau, Alaska; Atlanta, Ga.; Asheville, N.C. and Tampa, Fla. before coming to Huntington Beach. A longtime supporter of sports tourism, he is currently the chair of the Orange County Sports Commission and formerly chaired the Orange County Visitors Assn.

He said some of his favorite memories during his tenure include celebrating surfing’s centennial in 2014 and 2015, when he rode a 42-foot-long surfboard with 66 other surfers, setting Guinness World Records for both the length of the board and most riders. In June 2019, Huntington Beach hosted Visit USA’s annual IPW tourism showcase, which included a performance by Snoop Dogg.

U.S. men’s volleyball national team coach Karch Kiraly, left, speaks with Visit Huntington Beach CEO Kelly Miller at the Tourism Summit on May 8.

(Matt Szabo)

Miller said that hosting the International Surfing Assn. World Para Surfing Championship the last two years was also meaningful for him, as his stepmother lived with multiple sclerosis for decades.

Visit Huntington Beach now has more money to market the travel destination than ever before, and recently partnered with a new advertising agency, JNS Next.

“I now have in place an incredible team,” he said. “There were some things we wanted to check off. This might be a good time to wave goodbye, be around to see my successor get hired, help train them and go to my next chapter. It just felt time.”