Orange County's Competitive Advantage In Arts Highlighted At Annual Business Dinner

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Business and the arts were in perfect alignment on Thursday as local musicians, performers, and visionary leaders celebrated "The Art of Business. The Business of Art." with more than 600 business executives, academic leaders, and elected officials at Orange County Business Council's Annual Dinner and Installation of the organization's 2019 Board of Directors.  Robbin Narike Preciado, Managing Director and Regional President of Union Bank, was sworn in as Chair of OCBC's Board of Directors.

Carl St. Clair, Music Director of Pacific Symphony, led the first address of the evening, kicking off the 2019 theme with a tribute to Orange County's vibrant arts community and arts organizations.

The evening also featured a panel discussion among four leaders highlighting Orange County's high arts "IQ" as a competitive advantage for businesses, which should not be taken for granted, but rather nurtured and supported. Moderated by Dr. Jim Doti, Professor and President Emeritus of Chapman University, philanthropic panelists included Joann Leatherby, President of Leatherby Family Foundation; Emile Haddad, Chairman, CEO and President of FivePoint Holdings, LLC; S. Paul Musco, Founder and Chairman of Gemini Industries, and leading donor for Orange County artistic venues including Chapman University's Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts; and Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of Orange County Business Council.

In recognition of its 2019 theme: 'The Art of Business. The Business of Art.', OCBC highlighted Orange County's history which has taken advantage of the alignment of art and business to great success, including: Madame Helena Modjeska, considered the greatest Shakespearean actress of her time, who emigrated to Anaheim in 1868 bringing artists and actors from all over the world to visit Orange County; Roy Ropp, who founded the annual Pageant of the Masters festival in 1933 to attract visitors to the nascent arts community in Laguna Beach; Walt Disney, who purchased 160 acres of land in Anaheim in 1955 to construct Disneyland as a place for fans to visit, developing into a global media and entertainment phenomenon; and Henry Segerstrom, who built the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in 1986, establishing a new level of culture in Orange County with a privately funded arts center, today an internationally-renowned complex home to world-class performing artists.

"Why did OCBC choose 'The Art of Business. The Business of Art.' as its theme for 2019? Because it is the essence of our success in Orange County," said Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of Orange County Business Council. "Since its earliest days, Orange County has inspired artists, actors, musicians—the creative class—from the world over. For decades, artists and entrepreneurs alike have been drawn to this county for its potential."

The night was also punctuated by mega-watt performances celebrating "The Business of Art," including: soprano Chelsea Chaves, Pacific Chorale member and graduate of Chapman University; the Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings, Orange County's premiere youth string orchestra, recognized both regionally and nationally; and a closing act by MONTAGE! Orange County School of the Arts Celebrated Performance Ambassadors, a performance group comprised of talented student artists, praised for its high-energy, unforgettable performances.

Newly installed board chair Robbin Narike Preciado heralded Orange County as a "thriving region not only because of all the businesses–big and small–that create jobs in the area, but also because of the rich arts scene that we help cultivate.

As leaders, Orange County is our canvas and we can continue to create beauty and harmony for our region as long as our heart is in it."

About OCBC:
Orange County Business Council represents and promotes the business community, working with government and academia, to enhance Orange County's economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high quality of life. OCBC is comprised of the region's most influential global businesses and organizations in the region, working to assure effective investment in infrastructure, an advanced education system that produces skilled workers, growth of venture capital and high tech companies, and housing solutions for the workforce.  OCBC membership is comprised of some of the world's largest global corporate leaders as well as representation from local government and academia.  For more information, visit http://www.ocbc.org.

CONTACT: Catherine Harper
Communications Manager
949.794.7245
[email protected]

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SOURCE Orange County Business Council