Ventura County, CA - The annual County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade will march down Main Street for the 23rd time in downtown Ventura on Saturday, March 12 at 10 AM. The theme is “Giving Back – The REAL Pot of Gold.”

This year’s Grand Marshal is Ventura County resident Ed Hogan. Born of Irish immigrants, Hogan lived through the great depression and with his philosophy of “Courage, Compassion and Commitment” created Pleasant Travel Service, a leisure travel agency that he grew to a multi million-dollar business before his retirement in 1998.

Hogan’s big Irish heart and his philosophy of “Courage, Compassion and Commitment” led him and his wife, Lynn to establish the Hogan Family Foundation, The foundation serves underprivileged families with necessary medical emergency travel, animal therapy for children, rescue for abandoned and abused dogs among other generous services.

For his generous contributions to Ventura County and his undying desire to pay forward the bounty of his American Dream, Mr. Ed Hogan will be honored as 2011 County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal.

Parade entries are being accepted until March 4. Parade organizers invite bands, dancers, acrobats, clowns, horses and organizations to participate in the county’s greenest event! Entry forms can be downloaded from the Parade’s website, www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com or by calling Jim Monahan, Parade Chairman at 643-4275.

WHAT: 23rd Annual County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade
“Giving Back – The REAL Pot of Gold”

WHEN: Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 10 AM

WHO: Ed Hogan, Grand Marshal

WHERE: Main Street in downtown Ventura, beginning at the Mission San Buenaventura, ending at Laurel Street

INFO: www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com or 643-1356.

(ATTACHED: Ed Hogan Bio)

About Ed Hogan
Born to Irish immigrant parents on September 28, 1927, Ed Hogan came through the Great Depression a determined young man. A native of New Jersey, he attended Arts High School. He joined the Naval Air Corps in May, 1945 where he began his career in aviation. He later attended Seton Hall College under the G.I. Bill.

Ed earned his commercial pilot's license and began working for Sky Coach on the East Coast in 1948. In 1951, he flew as a co-pilot for US Air Coach out of Burbank, California. He became District Sales Manager for Transocean Air Lines in Los Angeles in 1954 and served in the same capacity in Honolulu in 1956 and in San Francisco in 1957. Transocean Air was the first tourist flight operation to Hawaii. When Ed transferred to New York in 1958, he became Director of Domestic and Pacific Sales.

In 1959, he and his wife Lynn, a graduate of Pratt Institute, opened their first retail travel agency, Pleasant Travel Service in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. In 1962, they moved the family business to the West Coast, to better serve the destination of Hawaii. In 1992, Pleasant Holidays, LLC reached total revenues of approximately $500 million annually.

In December of 1998, the Hogans sold Pleasant Holidays, LLC to the Auto Club of Southern California. Today, Ed Hogan stays busy serving as Chairman of the non-profit Hogan Family Foundation, Pleasant Travel Service, Pleasant Aircraft Leasing, Royal Lahaina Development Company, and Royal Lahaina and Royal Kona resorts.
Following his philosophy of “Courage, Compassion and Commitment,” Ed continues to be a well-known figure in the travel industry, as the companies he founded attain growth and success in an ever-changing world.

Following is a brief overview of the Hogan enterprises:
PLEASANT TRAVEL SERVICE
Hawaiian Hotels & Resorts (hotel ownership/management: Royal Lahaina Resort on Maui and Royal Kona Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii) Royal Lahaina Development Group, LLC (Villas at Royal Lahaina)
PLEASANT AIRCRAFT LEASING
In 2004, the Hogans purchased their first Gulfstream jet and launched Pleasant Aircraft Leasing (PAL), catering to the global, luxury travel needs of elite business people, celebrities, and sports figures. PAL is operating the luxury, private jet charter flights through award-winning Clay Lacy Aviation, one of the largest jet charter and aircraft management companies in the world. PAL currently operates two Gulfstream 450s. In Hawaii, the company also operates a Cirrus SR-22 and Cessna Grand Caravan for business travel between the islands.

THE HOGAN FAMILY FOUNDATION, INC.
In 1998, Ed and Lynn Hogan established The Hogan Family Foundation with the mission to promote a greater understanding of the importance of the entrepreneurial spirit through the creation and operation of educational, civic-minded and humanitarian programs designed to encourage a more productive and contributory society.

The Foundation’s contribution to education focuses on encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit with the funding of programs in Entrepreneurial Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii. The programs have graduated hundreds of outstanding students, many having begun their own successful businesses.

The Foundation’s humanitarian efforts include the Hogan Angel Flight Program that assists in providing travel arrangements for needy medical patients. Annual contributions in airfare average a quarter million dollars.
The Foundation has also made significant cultural contributions with the building in 2000 of the Gardens of the World, a 4.5-acre community park in Thousand Oaks, California, which features different types of gardens found around the world for the public to enjoy free of charge. The Gardens are also a venue for a series of entertaining jazz band concerts at its central bandstand area, artistic displays, educational programs, docent-led tours, community fundraising events, and other activities.

In 2005, the Foundation built Rancho St. Francis in Hidden Valley, CA, a 23-acre facility which hosts the St. Francis Rangers Program, which teaches underprivileged children how to care for and ride horses, including participation in equestrian show competitions. A second ranch was opened in Camarillo, CA in 2007, adding 14 acres for animal rescue and rehabilitation. This facility is home to the 15 Hands Rescue Sanctuary for horses, Big Paws 4 a Cause, a large breed dog rescue, and other animal welfare programs.

A number of other local organizations, which serve needy women and children, bring their “clients” to the ranches on a regular basis for them to learn to care for the rescued animals, which has shown to be very therapeutic and a positive influence on the lives of both the animals and humans. Additionally, the Foundation’s Lifeline 4 Paws and Big Paws 4 a Cause programs provide medical assistance and adoption service for abandoned and abused dogs.

Under the chairmanship of Ed and Lynn Hogan, the Hogan Family Foundation also continues to develop new programs of a philanthropic nature. The Hogan’s desire to “give back” to their community and society as a whole is a gesture of gratitude for the success they have enjoyed in their lives.
Since its founding, the Foundation has invested approximately $69 million in its educational and charitable programs.

Ed and Lynn make their home in Sherwood Country Club in Lake Sherwood, California. At his leisure, Ed spends his time with his dogs, riding horses, and playing golf. They both continue to enjoy their world travels. They have four children: Brian, Christine, Gary and Glenn; each of whom holds executive positions in their companies. They have four grandchildren.

In 2001, Ed and Lynn celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with 250 close family and friends at their Lake Sherwood home called Chateau Plaisance.