Grossmont High Grad Khari Johnson Honored in NYC for Journalism

Khari Johnson of Imperial Beach, editor of Imperial Beach Patch, was honored Friday morning as one of the “best of the best” Patch employees during ceremonies in New York City.

A 2003 graduate of Grossmont High School who grew up in the Mount Helix area, Johnson launched the fifth Patch in San Diego County in October 2010. San Diego County now has 13 Patch sites, owned by AOL.

Johnson, also educated at San Francisco State University, previously worked for newspapers, magazines and websites in the Bay Area and San Diego, Colorado Springs and south Florida.

Jon Brod, co-founder and CEO of Patch, made the announcement at Patch headquarters in Manhattan.

Johnson won a cash award and plaque as a PROPS award winner—Public Recognition for Outstanding Patch Style.

He’s not the first local Patch editor to win national employer recognition. In 2012, Patch Associate Regional Editor Hoa Quách was named a Blue Monster Award winner from Patch parent AOL. That award celebrates the best AOL employees. 

“AOL’s Blue Monster Awards, the highest honor an AOL employee can receive, recognize AOLers who personify AOL’s core values," the company said. “The awards program debuted in 2010 as a way to bring to life the values AOL embraces as a company by recognizing those whose great work and passion has caught the attention of their peers.”

Quách launched the first Patch in San Diego County—Poway Patch—in late September 2010.

Patch has won 42 awards in the San Diego Press Club journalism contest in the past two years.