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Worcester honors DCU Center manager Sandra Dunn with city proclamation and unveiling
Summary
Worcester City officials and community members gathered at the DCU Center to honor Sandra Dunn for a 42-year career managing the venue; city and civic leaders read a proclamation and staff joined Dunn for a side unveiling of a name recognition at the center.
Worcester officials and community members recognized Sandra Dunn on stage at the DCU Center on Friday with a mayoral proclamation and a ceremonial side unveiling honoring her 42-year career with the venue.
Councilor Robert Pada, who opened the event and introduced Mayor Joseph M. Petty, read the proclamation citing Dunn’s leadership since 1983 and her contributions to the DCU Center and downtown Worcester. The proclamation noted Dunn’s work with local and regional groups, including Discover Central Massachusetts, the Mass Cultural Council and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Lenny Shafredo, a longtime member of the DCU board, highlighted workforce retention under Dunn’s leadership, citing the employee-tenure figures at the venue: 52 staff with 15 or more years, 32 with 20 or more years, 14 with 25 or more years and 29 with 30 or more years of service. “They work for Sandy Dunn, right? And they know that Sandy has their backs,” Shafredo said.
Amy Peterson, who worked under Dunn as director of marketing at the DCU Center, called Dunn “a masterclass in negotiation” and praised her for guiding the venue through renovations, name changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. “She mentored me, supported me, and has been one of my biggest and loudest champions,” Peterson said.
Dunn accepted the recognition and reflected on arriving in Worcester in the early 1980s, recounting her start at the venue and thanking her colleagues and family. She publicly acknowledged key members of the venue’s executive staff, including assistant general manager Jim Mowen and staffers Rob Hornbaker, Melissa Day, Tom McMaster and John Laair, and credited city departments for ongoing operational partnerships with police, fire, licensing and public facilities.
Organizers closed the ceremony and directed attendees to a side reveal of the name recognition at the DCU Center. The event combined formal civic recognition with personal tributes from colleagues and community leaders and underscored the venue’s role in Worcester’s cultural and economic life.
