Lucy Dunn plans to retire from Orange County Business Council, ending 16 years at helm – Orange County Register

Some 16 years ago, a chain of unplanned career detours landed Lucy Dunn as the head of the Orange County Business Council, a nonprofit that champions area businesses while working to enhance quality of life for the county’s 3.2 million residents.

A month into the job, Dunn was hosting President George W. Bush to discuss immigration issues. A few years in, she was helping to guide the local business community through the Great Recession and the lengthy recovery period that followed, when she became a leading voice on issues such as affordable housing and infrastructure. And last year, Dunn took on her greatest challenge yet, helping her organization’s 200-plus member businesses navigate the worst pandemic the nation has seen in a century.

On Wednesday, Dunn, 68, announced that at year’s end she’ll step down as president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council.

“It took a long time to think about this, to make sure we’re coming out of…

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