Two years ago, Marine Group Boat Works established a superyacht agency, Marine Group Global Services. The division, offering owners and crew other assistance as well, has grown alongside the number of large yachts visiting San Diego. As a result, two key promotions have occurred.
Firstly, Leah Yam Jones is now vice president of Marine Group Global Services. She’s spent the past two decades at Marine Group Boat Works, developing its brand and handling marketing. Those duties additionally include Marine Group de Los Cabos in Mexico plus Fifth Avenue Landing marina in San Diego and Global Services. Joining Yam Jones, Dawn Stofberg is now director of superyacht services. She’s overseeing the division’s largest operations, namely yacht-agent services and marina management. The division further specializes in maritime consulting, vessel management, and vessel operations.
Yam Jones’ experience with Marine Group Boat Works dates back to just after the refit and service facility repositioned for superyachts. Pre-2006, it was a struggling boatyard. Todd Roberts, co-founder and president of Marine Group Boat Works, which he also recently acquired, convinced the owners to invest. “I was pretty lucky to be part of the original team that build the San Diego superyacht industry to what it is today,” Yam Jones says. According to her, about two to four large yachts visited San Diego annually before 2006. Currently, 65 to 125 come to the city each year. More are expected next summer with the NASCAR road race at Naval Base Coronado and the FIFA World Cup up the coast in Los Angeles. Similarly, more yachts should visit the region during the Olympic Games in the summer of 2028 in Los Angeles.
Stofberg, meanwhile, has been managing Fifth Avenue Landing for the past six years. Concurrently, she contributed to the creation of Marine Group Global Services’ yacht-agent, provisioning, and logistics services, plus its crew-placement program. She brought with her 12 years’ experience as a crewmember aboard yachts to 230 feet (70 meters). All of this comes to play in working with nearly all of the yachts that visit San Diego. In her new role, Stofberg is responsible for elevating the service standards, strengthening industry ties, and promoting the city as a destination. “I want every yacht owner and crewmember arriving in San Diego to feel immediately connected and supported,” she asserts.
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