Meet Orange County’s 125 most influential people for 2023

By Orange County on December 22, 2023

Orange County is home to approximately 3.2 million people, so it’s a nearly impossible task to choose .000039% of them to represent a year with so many incredible stories from such a diverse, vibrant community.

Nearly, but not impossible.

We at the Orange County Register relied on nominations from our loyal readers and our staff members who cover the county, and then we compiled our annual list of the 125 most influential people in the county.

Some of them are obvious but certainly belong, though this might be Shohei Ohtani’s final appearance for a while; you might’ve read that he landed a job in Los Angeles. Others are influential out of the spotlight, but you brought them to our attention and now we want to make sure more people learn about them.

And our list, of course, includes those who did whatever it takes to help those in need.

By the way, someone’s omission from the list doesn’t mean we think they lack influence, but we try to focus on people who made a difference in 2023 that should be acknowledged.

Here are the 125 most influential people in Orange County for 2023:

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Joyce Ahn

Following Councilmember Ahn’s proposal, the Buena Park CIty Council in October unanimously designated the Korean American neighborhood — the section of Beach Boulevard between Orangethorpe Avenue and Rosecrans Avenue in Buena Park — as Koreatown, making the city home to Orange County’s second Koreatown.

Ashleigh Aitken

The reader-nominated mayor of Anaheim worked to restore transparency and trust in Anaheim following an investigation into alleged corruption One reader said she helped point the city in the right direction after the “disastrous course” it had been on.

Tamara Alexander

Alexander, co-director of the Mediation Clinic at Chapman’s Fowler School of Law, provides mediation services to families in crisis through OC Family Court. “She is extremely professional and empathetic, and is able to make the participants at the clinic heard and valued,” the reader who nominated her wrote.

Sylvia Alva

Alva took over as Cal State Fullerton’s president in August, returning to the university where she landed her first teaching position after receiving her doctorate. Alva, the daughter of immigrants and part of a family educated in the Cal State system, most recently had overseen CSU’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.

Mike Andersen

Andersen, an Army veteran and owner of Veteran Air in Anaheim, quietly contributed money and manpower to many causes in his community with little recognition of the extent of the reach of his kindness. He and his HVAC company helped feed people at the holidays, supported local businesses and charities and veteran programs, and just this year contributed $40,000 toward the Prado Dam mural restoration. Andersen died Oct. 3 at age 40.

Charles Antis

The founder of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing has been deeply involved with nonprofits throughout Orange County and is a dynamic speaker who is eager to make a difference. In 2023, Antis hosted his 100th blood drive after launching an effort in 2020 when he learned that blood drives were being canceled due to the pandemic; 2,500 units of blood were collected over those 100 drives.

Candice Appleby

Appleby has been at the top of the stand-up paddle scene for decades, one of the early adopters of the sport, and still is dominating. Appleby, who runs Ocean Academy in Dana Point Harbor, earned gold at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile.

Damien Arrula

Despite threats, Placentia’s city administrator convinced the city council to leave the traditional (and very expensive) model of firefighting and embrace something more to scale, which, despite predictions of bodies in the streets, has improved response times. The city does get the cold shoulder from surrounding cities, however.

Randall Avila

Avila is a central force of the Orange County Republican Party, where he serves as executive director. From spearheading efforts to reregister former Republican voters and launching a county-level candidate training program for local Orange County seats to bringing presidential candidates to Orange County ahead of the election, he’s had a busy year.

Jeff Ball

As president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council for the past two years, Ball is among the leading business voices in Orange County. The OCBC, formed in 1995 from the merger of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce with three other business and industry groups, is Orange County’s leading promoter of business and community development, focusing on advocacy, research and networking events. Articulate and engaging, Ball is following in the huge footsteps of his charismatic predecessor, Lucy Dunn.

Annastasia Rose Beal

She strolls the streets of Orange County, handing out Narcan like she is Santa handing out gifts. Beal wants people to have the chance to save themselves or others from an opioid overdose.

Shannon Bennett

Bennett, a health teacher at Santiago High School in Garden Grove, was nominated by a reader for her work with the school’s Friday Night Live club that “promotes a healthy lifestyle free of alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse,” her nominator wrote. “Participating in after school and community activities provides students with a rewarding opportunity to gain personal confidence and leadership skills.”

Claudia Bonilla Keller

She led Second Harvest Food Bank as it helped feed more than 400,000 people a month in 2023, a record for the 40-year-old agency. She says the surge in food insecurity the nation saw during the pandemic has been replaced by a more stubborn matrix of problems that is making it hard for people to get consistent access to nutritious food.

LaVal Brewer

Brewer is the president and CEO of South County Outreach. For more than 30 years, he’s been in the business of helping feed people and transition them to a better life. Behind the scenes, he’s credited with helping create a positive environment for nonprofit workers that helps avoid burnout.

Allyson Brooks

An OB/GYN, Dr. Brooks is the executive director and chief quality officer at Hoag Women’s Health Institute. She oversaw the launch of the innovative Postpartum+ program. At a time when maternal health is a national concern, this program allows new mothers and babies to continue to receive care for six weeks after leaving the hospital, along with an app Brooks consulted on. Plus: She’ll be overseeing the Hoag women’s hospital expansion in Irvine.

Dottie Brown

Brown has given blood for the past 70 years. Brown, who has the much-needed Type O blood, donates every 56 days. She advised the greater Orange County community earlier this year to be “mindful of other people’s needs and help where you can.”

Wendy Bucknum

The Mission Viejo councilmember has swung into action to organize other California cities to demand better standards and oversight for sober living and addiction treatment facilities. Costa Mesa had been waging a lonely war here — until its new laws pushed operators into surrounding cities like Mission Viejo.

Leo Carlsson

The rookie from Sweden, who turns 19 on Dec. 26, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft and already has made a difference with the Ducks. He’s part of a youth movement with the Ducks that includes Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, all of whom were born in 2001 or later. Carlsson left the Ducks’ game Thursday, Dec. 21 after an opponent fell awkwardly on his leg, but more on his status wasn’t immediately known.

David O. Carter

The federal judge who concluded that then-President Donald Trump and his attorney, former Chapman Law dean John Eastman, “more likely than not” committed crimes in their attempts to reverse Trump’s 2020 election loss set the stage for myriad criminal trials of folks involved in the effort.

Brenda and Daniel Castillo

The couple’s Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano turned 3 this year. They also opened a second Heritage location in Oceanside. Heritage’s reach, in part, inspired local pitmaster Jeff Hayes to start his own budding barbecue empire, JW Hayes BBQ, which can be found inside a liquor store.

Oliver Chi

Irvine’s city manager led an innovative land swap that got an annoying asphalt plant shut while creating new open space and possibly 400-plus new homes. One 2024 challenge he is facing is getting the city a new amphitheater.

Meghan Clem and Katie Webb Brundige

They created RAD Camp a decade ago and today it is the largest overnight camp in Southern California for children and adults with disabilities. Always with a wait list, in 2023, RAD Camp was able to welcome more campers than ever before. Fun fact: On the RAD Camp website, they are listed as co-founders and executive directors of awesome.

Griffin Colapinto

The San Clemente surfer made it to the World Surf League Final 5, rallying his hometown and leading the charge for four more San Clemente surfers who made the elite 2024 World Tour. He also nabbed a spot in the 2024 Olympics and will surf on Team USA in Tahiti.

Gerrit Cole

Cole, an Orange Lutheran High graduate and former UCLA pitcher, won the American League Cy Young Award for his dominant 2023 season. He had been in the top 10 in voting six previous times, but Cole got the nod after he struck out 222 batters with an MLB-best .981 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) for the Yankees.

Sergio Contreras

Contreras leads the United for Student Success initiative at Orange County United Way, and under his leadership the organization coordinated 176 college- and career-related events for nearly 3,000 high school students in 2023. Contreras is is a first-generation American, and his nominator said his programs “reflect the realities and needs of today’s students and are steeped in cultural sensitivity.”

Alicia Cox

Cox’s beach dining empire wasn’t enough for the entrepreneur who thrives on challenges. She opened The Salty B in Huntington Beach to sell clothing and home goods, she partnered with Strut to host Orange County’s first Pride event on the beach and secured contracts to be the exclusive food and beverage provider for the US Open of Surfing and World Surf League events at Huntington State Beach.

Ayn Craciun

Craciun heads up the Orange County chapter of Climate Action Campaign, a leading nonprofit climate policy watchdog in the region. She helped spur creation of the Orange Power Authority, to provide cleaner energy options to county residents. And in 2023, she led efforts to release the first Orange County Climate Action Plan Report Card, to gauge how local cities and the county are doing when it comes to plans for long-term climate action and adaptation.

Alissa Deming

Deming is a head veterinarian at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This year, when sea lions and dolphins were sickened by a toxic algae bloom off the coast of Southern California, Deming worked nonstop with her team as the center took in hundreds of sick and dying animals. She also collaborated with other marine mammal rescue center and helped create critical protocols that led to the successful recovery of many of the mammals, including a trio of newborn pups born to DA-poisoned moms at PMMC.

Annee Della Donna

Della Donna founded Innocence OC, located at UC Irvine Law School and dedicated to reversing wrongful convictions. She recently obtained the release of two men imprisoned for 17 years for an L.A. County shooting that they did not commit.

Jon Dunn

Dunn celebrated 30 years with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties in 2023, and its primary care arm, Melody Health, continued providing accessible mental health support. Through early December, it had seen 282 unique patients and 3,867 virtual visits for intensive psychotherapy, an increase from the same period in 2022 from 182 patients for 2525 visits.

Alison Edwards

Under Edwards’ leadership, the OC Human Relations Council rebranded in 2023 to Groundswell. The organization works with the county and the OC Human Relations Commission to release the annual Hate Crime Report, and the new name helped avoid some confusion that existed. In 2023, Groundswell hosted its Community Dialogue Series, bringing together people to share the joys and recognize the harms and challenges faced by communities of color.

David Ellenstein

In six short months, Laguna Playhouse’s new artistic director has spearheaded a creative revitalization of Orange County’s sole century-old theater, which had been languishing artistically and professionally. Under Ellenstein and managing director professional partner Bill Kerlin, the first four productions were sharply acted, sumptuously staged and well-attended, portending an institution again on the rise.

Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi

The couple behind Knife Pleat, one of three Orange County restaurants with a Michelin star, offer an elevated dining experience in their South Coast Plaza location (and Esnault works miracles with vegetables). They also are engaged in their community and showed up to support an anti-human trafficking initiative when it was introduced this year.

Sally Feldhaus

Longtime volunteer Feldhaus has had her hand in many Anaheim community celebrations for decades, most notably the city’s annual flag day and downtown tree lighting ceremony. Feldhaus, along with her late husband councilmember Frank Feldhaus, have been called Mr. and Mrs. Anaheim.

Frank Fitzpatrick

Affectionately known as Orange County’s last cowboy, this owner of 5 Bar Beef is at the heart of local holistic grazing projects. The goal is to use cattle to clear vegetation that can present fire hazards while also improving soil quality. A pilot project with the agency that manages the toll roads is wrapping up this year, with promising results.

Jennifer Friend

Friend knows firsthand what it is like to be homeless as a child in Orange County. This catapulted her into her leadership role at Project Hope Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness and ensuring that children continue to have access to the basic needs and resources they need to succeed.

Lorri Galloway

The reader-nominated Galloway is the founder and executive director of The Eli Home for abused children. On Nov. 8, CalOptima recognized her innovative work in homelessness and the creation of CARP, Children of Addicts Recovery Program, that recognizes the most vulnerable of the homelessness crisis. They awarded The Eli Home $5 million to build the first CARP Permanent Supportive Housing development.

Edward Gerber

Gerber, executive director of Lestonnac Free Clinics, advanced money to the nonprofit Wound Walk to expand the group’s volunteer street medicine care of homeless people in Orange County. The money, loaned in anticipation of $3 million in grant money secured by state Senators Josh Newman and Janet Nguyen, was used to purchase a fully equipped mobile medical utility truck to do triage and outreach.

Oscar González and family

Oscar González and the other 12 brothers and sisters who are owners of Northgate Markets (Orange County-based company with dozens of markets extending into Los Angeles County) just opened the gigantic Mercado González, a 70,000-square-foot storefront that showcases old and contemporary Mexican cuisine, in Costa Mesa. The mercado, unlike anything Orange County has seen, is the 45th installment in the Northgate Market empire.

Jon Gould

Gould was named head of UC Irvine’s school of sociology about a year ago. Since then, he’s overseen the first big public opinion survey of the county in years, and he’s working to turn UCI into a hub for getting stuff done.

Jeneen Graham

Graham became St. Margaret’s Episcopal School’s fifth head of school in July and is the first woman to lead the San Juan Capistrano school that was founded in 1979. The reader-nominated educator has collaborated with edX to offer MOOCs (massive open online courses).

Frederick Griefer

In 2023, he was selected as the director of the Santa Ana Homeownership Center in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, one of four such centers in the country (the others are in Atlanta, Denver and Philadelphia). The reader-nominated Griefer oversees a 150-person operation serving the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Joshua Grill

Grill is the director of UCI MIND. It’s the only state and federally funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Orange County and it’s working to unravel the mysteries of the brain-wasting disease.

Marilyn Harran

The Chapman professor of history and religious studies was nominated by a reader “for her exceptional contributions and influential role in Holocaust education. In 2023, she has spent the year diligently preparing the antidote to antisemitism through her dedicated efforts in education.”

Dan Heinfeld

Heinfeld established LPA Design Studios as a national model for integrated design with a focus on sustainability long before it became mainstream. During his tenure, the firm prioritized designs that were both timeless and energy-efficient, promoting health and wellness. The firm’s notable achievements include the Premier Automotive Group headquarters for the Ford Motor Company, the nation’s first LEED-NC-certified building, the decade-long development of the Edwards Lifesciences campus, the new County of Orange civic complex, and the recently announced $1 billion expansion of Hoag’s new Sun Family Campus in Irvine. Heinfeld retires this month, in December, after 37 years as president of LPA and 45 years total with the firm.

Mark Hilbert

Hilbert, benefactor of the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, has been busy helping plan and now overseeing the expansion of the facility, which is expected to be completed in February and will show even more of the collection he and his wife, Janet, have amassed. In the meantime, he continues to offer his weekly guided tours of the museum’s temporary space.

Patti Hirahara

Hirahara volunteers her time and donates funds to preserve the history of Japanese Americans in Orange County. Her nominator pointed to several projects she undertook in 2023 that focused on members of a community that knows her efforts and the nominator believes should be known by many more in the county.

Madelynn Hirneise

The reader-nominated CEO of Families Forward led the charge to secure increased funding for the organization in 2023. CalOptima Health awarded it $2.5 million to build up to eight affordable housing units in Tustin for families with young children. Additionally, the City of Tustin contributed a substantial sum of $2 million toward this project.

Susan Huang

As the medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UCI Health, Huang is among the nation’s leading clinicians and researchers in the field of infection prevention and combatting multi-drug resistant organisms. In 2023, the reader-nominated Dr. Huang and colleagues published two landmark studies related to reducing healthcare-associated infections.

Amy Huff

About 31,000 people, mostly older and all vulnerable, live behind closed doors in Orange County, either in residential and medical care facilities. For many, Huff is the one person they talk with every month. She’s an advocate with the long-term care ombudsman program, and her job is to be the eyes and ears and voice for people who otherwise would be totally at the mercy of the companies they pay to watch over them.

Michael Hunn

Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health, is responsible for business, financial and community planning of the health plan. He works with CalOptima’s board of directors to create programs that better serve members. Hunn stepped in in late 2021 as CalOptima’s interim CEO following the retirement of the previous chief executive. Since then, he has been praised by the community members and the Orange County Board of Supervisors for his work as CEO.

Mara James

She coordinated with Assemblymember Laurie Davies with the support of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma to have September 2023 designated as Children’s Emotional Wellness Month. Additionally, the reader-nominated James initiated a first-time program in low-income schools in September to bring awareness of children’s mental health issues which included take-home packets in English and Spanish as family resources.

Chris Jepsen

Jepsen is president of the Orange County Historical Society and maintains a Facebook page and a blog that highlight stories and forgotten tidbits on the history of the county and its various cities. Earlier this year, Jepsen published a meticulously researched look at Chicago gangster Al Capone’s interest in buying up what is now south Orange County, ostensibly to expand his bootlegging operation.

Darrell Johnson

As the CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority, Johnson oversaw the completion of a five-year, $2.16 million widening of the 405 Freeway this year. The agency is also deep into 5 Freeway improvement projects, work on a key section of the 55 Freeway and is nearing completion of the OC Streetcar.

Sara Johnson

The professor of anthropology and director of the Urban Agriculture Community-based Research Experience Project at Cal State Fullerton works with students – in the classroom, in the Fullerton Arboretum and Apiary, and in working with community partners across Orange County. Her nominator wrote that she instills a passion for agroecological research and teaches students how to use the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired in college to give back to their communities.

Nahla Kayali

For 25 years, Kayali has helped refugees and newcomers to America in Orange County find their footing. An immigrant herself, Kayali, who started the nonprofit Access California Services, has helped more than 13,000 people start new lives, obtain skills and find jobs.

Veronica Kelley

The chief of mental health and recovery services for the county’s health care agency is taking point on efforts to educate community members on the dangers of fentanyl in the county’s Fentanyl is Forever campaign.

Joe Kiani

Kiani is the CEO and founder of Masimo. The company has won a series of patent battles against Apple over the tech giant’s improper copying of the Orange County firm’s health-tracking technology.

Scott Kibbey

Kibbey is a state parks superintendent who oversees, among other spots, Doheny State Beach. This year, a major sand replenishment project helped revitalize Doheny, something Kibbey helped oversee.

Edward Kim

As physician-in-chief of City of Hope Orange County, Kim treats cancer patients from all over Orange County. He played an instrumental role in developing culturally sensitive treatment methods for OC’s only cancer specialty hospital.

Jeannie Kim

Kim was appointed president of Santiago Canyon College in January. She recently told a reporter that she wants Santiago Canyon, ranked No. 7 among the state’s community colleges, to reach No. 1 out of 116 in only a few years.

Tracy La

La leads a prominent advocacy organization, VietRISE, that builds power with working-class Vietnamese people and immigrant communities in Orange County. The reader who nominated her wrote that she advocated for bold policy changes in Little Saigon cities and the passage of Santa Ana’s rent control and stabilization ordinance.

Andy and Brian Le

Andy and Brian Le, who founded The Martial Club with Daniel Mah, played an essential role as fight choreographers and scene-stealing actors in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture this year. They delivered fight scenes that were as breathtaking as they were hilarious, which led to a lot of the movie’s popularity.

Matt Leinart

The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner’s flag football league received credit for being a trailblazer for the rapid growth of girls flag football, which became an official high school sport in the fall.

Sofya Levitsky-Weitz

Levitsky-Weitz, who grew up in Rossmoor and attended OCSA and Los Alamitos High, won a Writers Guild of America award for comedy series along with a group from “The Bear.” She’s an executive story editor on the acclaimed show. She also was nominated for her work on “The Dropout.”

Kristen Lew

The 17-year-old founder and host of The Care Café teen mental health podcast was recognized by California Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Steve Zimmer for her advocacy for California Senate Bill 14 to implement mental health days in schools, bettering mental health efforts in her local OC community and across California. Lew is a senior at Northwood High.

Royce Lewis

The JSerra High graduate and former No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft hit 15 home runs in only 58 games with the Minnesota Twins in the 2023 season. He became the first player in MLB history to hit five grand slams among his first 16 career home runs.

Sawyer Lindblad

The young surfer won the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and qualified for the 2024 World Tour, the only Orange County native on the women’s tour to compete against the sport’s best.

Aaron Lipp

In the span of a few months, Lipp brought his own life experience as someone who is neurodivergent to the lead role of Christopher Francis Boone, a teenager who is on the autism spectrum, in not one but two productions of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” — first for Chapman University, where he is a student, and then for Chance Theater in Anaheim.

Debbie Little

Several readers nominated Little and called attention to her work with the food bank at St. Kilian Catholic Church in Mission Viejo. They called out her “tireless efforts” to make sure members of the local community received the food they need.

Jessie Lopez

Lopez, a member of the Santa Ana City Council, survived the police union-backed recall launched against her. “We showed up and our community showed up and we are making a major statement that we do not want the politics of the police association running the city,” she said.

Austin Lumbard

Tustin’s mayor has been the face of the city, navigating it through the blimp hangar fire that emitted asbestos into neighborhoods.

Debbie McGuire

McGuire is the director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Center. When the snowy owl arrived in Cypress, she and her team were among the first to determine the bird’s health and identify its feeding habitats. McGuire worked with local wildlife authorities to ensure the bird’s welfare while also making recommendations to the public to keep it and the owl as safe and healthy as possible.

Inge Mckellop

Mckellop, owner of the Wiener Dog Store in Huntington Beach’s Old World Village, has brought smiles to people’s faces for years by organizing wiener dog races. What once was a bit of fun during the Oktoberfest celebrations has become a season of its own lasting from spring until the championships in November.

Andrew McMahon

The Dana Point native is a singer-songwriter and leader of the band Something Corporate, which recently reunited and toured in 2023. McMahon also dropped his fourth solo album, “Tilt at the Wind No More,” in March. As a cancer survivor himself, McMahon continues to raise funds through his Dear Jack Foundation to support young people diagnosed with cancer and their families. Something Corporate is wrapping up the year with a pair of New Year’s Eve shows at City National Grove of Anaheim on Dec. 30-31.

Dick Metz

The early-era surfer who grew up in Laguna Beach was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame this year for his contributions to the sport, including starting the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente.

Leslee Milch

Milch, a teacher in the Buena Park School District, wrapped up her 25th consecutive summer of hosting “Read With Me” outings in a local park where she reads to children during summer break.

Debra Miller

Miller is the CEO and founder of Newport Beach-based CureDuchenne, a nonprofit that raises money to promote research, patient care and innovation for those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, such as Miller’s son Hawken. In 2023, a significant milestone was met when the first gene therapy for Duchenne was approved by the FDA to treat 4 and 5 year olds with the disease. CureDuchenne provided early and critical funding to the company that developed this drug, and Miller was one of a select few who spoke at the FDA’s Advisory Committee Meeting in June 2023, in advance of the approval.

Kian Moltaji

An Instagram influencer with more than 150,000 followers, Moltaji just opened his first brick-and-mortar bakery in Mission Viejo this summer. His new artisan bakery, which has lines coming out the door, provides legit French pastries to South County minus the frippery that usually comes with such establishments.

Mike Moodian and Fred Smoller

These two Chapman University professors together founded the Orange County Sustainability Decathlon, which came to the OC Fair & Event Center this fall. More than a dozen teams of mostly college students from around the world designed sustainable homes to compete in the eight-day event, which also featured a job fair, documentary screenings, speakers and more.

Kelsey Morgan

Morgan, a doctoral candidate at UC Irvine, created Freedom Lifemap, an online assessment questionnaire aimed at helping trafficking victims break free from their captors. “There’s an urgent need to understand the root causes that create this cycle, and to predict and identify trends and anomalies as a way to help break it,” Morgan said.

Holly Morrell

The founder of nonprofit Heartfelt has been a vocal advocate for heart health in Orange County, the reader who nominated her wrote. In 2023, she facilitated more than $675,000 worth of vital cardiac evaluations for Orange County families. In those evaluations, Heartfelt identified that five people had life-threatening heart conditions. among them one adult and an 11-year-old who required surgery to safeguard their lives and return to sports and normal activities.

Joe Mosca

Since taking the helm as temporary CEO of the Orange County Power Authority in early summer, Mosca has helped the troubled clean electricity agency earn a vote of confidence from local lawmakers, environmental groups and, on many issues, state auditors. It’s been a dramatic turn for an agency that started losing the faith of the county and one local city last year amid troubling investigations.

Maddie Musselman

The former Corona del Mar High standout remained a key player on the U.S. women’s water polo team and inspiration for female athletes.

Marybelle Musco

The Musco family has once again raised the arts bar at Chapman University with this year’s creation of the new Marybelle Musco Contemporary Dance Series. With the pandemic’s passing, Musco – whose love of dance stretches back to participation as a girl – committed to a next step in programming at Musco Center for the Arts. Supplementing live performances for the public, the endeavor underwrites week-long residencies for top professional companies on campus as dance catalysts interacting with Chapman dance students.

Mike Ness

The frontman for Orange County-based Social Distortion announced in June that he had tonsil cancer. In early December, however, Social Distortion announced it would tour in 2024 as Ness’ condition apparently has improved enough for him to get on the road.

Steven Oh

Oh is the executive vice president at Related California and head of the Related Bristol project in Santa Ana. The development company is working with city officials for a retooling of aging retail space near South Coast Plaza that would include 3,750 residential units, a hotel and new shopping spaces.

Seán O’Harrow

O’Harrow joined the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana this summer, the first new leader for the Santa Ana museum in decades following the death in November 2022 of long-time director Peter Keller. He said he was drawn by the Bowers’ status as a multicultural museum and its permanent collection of art that chronicles local history. The first new exhibits since O’Harrow came on board include a preserved early example of “The Great Wave,” one of the most recognizable works by artist Katsushika Hokusai, and a photography exhibit that includes Steve McCurry’s ‘Afghan Girl,’ one of the most recognizable photographs ever taken.

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani became the first player in major league history to win an MVP Award unanimously for the second time. Ohtani is the No. 1 attraction in major league baseball and was a significant driver of attendance and revenue for the Angels before he left as a free agent to sign with the Dodgers for $700 million over 10 years.

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies

A retired Ventura police sergeant opened fire at Cook’s Corner on Aug. 23, killing three people and injuring six others before he was fatally shot in a barrage of bullets by Orange County Sheriff’s deputies authorities said. “Those deputy sheriffs took the action that was necessary to take out the suspect, to stop the danger, to use their training and to make sure that the suspect could do no more harm,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

Rhonda Palmeri

The manager of Cook’s Corner held it together during a mass shooting and helped people heal. When some doubted if Cook’s Corner could reopen, she listened to her staff that insisted they needed to open to embrace the community of bikers and canyon residents that call it home.

Sue Parks

Parks could’ve settled for simply trying to oversee the myriad vital initiatives Orange County United Way already had, but the CEO didn’t back away from a new challenge in 2023. Under Parks’ leadership, United Way acquired 2-1-1 OC, the hotline that connects county residents with social services.

Richard Pickup

A $50 million gift from the philanthropist is funding a new brain health center at Hoag Hospital. This center aims to transform clinical care for memory and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Additionally, it will create programs for patients’ family members who are also impacted by the effects of the often devastating diseases.

Ivan Pitts

Pastor Pitts leads Second Baptist Church, the oldest Black church in Orange County that celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Pitts has served the church for more than a decade, growing its membership, expanding its campuses and continuing its partnership with groups like the OC Health Care Agency and OC Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance to launch mental health and wellness services.

Bonni Pomush

Pomush took over as CEO of Working Wardrobes after a string of events rocked the nonprofit — fire, pandemic and the stepping down of its founder. In little more than a year, she has revitalized its mission and connected Working Wardrobes into a network of other nonprofits in the county and beyond. It’s more than just clothes; it’s about building a workforce for OC.

Matt Prince

Prince, the head of public relations for Taco Bell and an adjunct professor at Chapman University, garnered national attention this year when a task he posed to his marketing class went viral. He challenged his students to create a TikTok video about the class, and if it got more than 1 million views, he’d cancel the final exam. The assignment, meant to be a semester-long opportunity to teach his students about the power of social media and trends, was completed in about 48 hours. The video, and his lesson, went viral.

Bella Rasmussen

The Laguna Beach running back, who became the first girl in California to score two touchdowns in a game, appeared in a Super Bowl commercial promoting the growth of girls flag football.

Roy Rausch

When a rare snowy owl arrived in Cypress creating a huge interest, local resident Rausch stepped in and quickly formed a community group of neighbors to safeguard the owl and manage the massive migration of people there. When the owl disappeared in early spring, he chronicled the experience and is now completing a docudrama he’s been filming around the community with other enthusiasts.

Richard Reese

The urban visionary who created the plan for the new community of Rancho Santa Margarita, dubbed by TV personality Barbara Walters as a modern-day Shangri-La. Reese – a lifelong planner who oversaw building and development for the city of Anaheim, the Irvine Company and Rancho Mission Viejo – died on Aug. 29 after retiring beside a lake in his beloved city. But his influence lives on in Rancho Santa Margarita as well as a score of other “urban villages” he created around Orange County.

Jon Reiser

Reiser has long been responsible for bringing touring acts to Orange County and supporting the local music scene. He’s now co-owner of Garden Amp in Downtown Garden Grove, which continues to foster young talent and bring in big-name punk rock, reggae and hip-hop acts. The intimate, all-ages venue also hosts a variety of popular tribute acts covering acts like Queen, The Cure, Linkin Park, Tom Petty, Journey and more.

Giovanni Roman

The Marine veteran from Garden Grove volunteered to help Ukraine following its invasion by Russia and was struck by a Russian rocket while inside a Humvee on the frontlines. “I’ve always believed as a man you should be willing to die for something,” Roman said. “I have no problem dying helping someone out and helping the defenseless — and that is exactly what was going on there.”

Carla Roque

The artist has painted a mural for every elementary school campus in Anaheim, 23 in total. The murals by the longtime illustrator and muralist contain positive messages of kindness and believing in oneself.

Henry and Susan Samueli

The philanthropists and Anaheim Ducks owners gave $50 million to UCI’s engineering school to help launch three research and education institutes for health, society and the environment. Susan Samueli also launched the Ending Human Trafficking Collaborative to inform the public and combat the practice of forcing people into sexual or manual labor for the financial benefit of others.

Linda Sanchez

Rep. Sanchez took over the BOLD PAC earlier this year, the campaign arm of the powerful Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Her mission is to increase Latino and Latina representation in Congress to diversify those who are at the policymaking table.

Brett Sanders

The professor for civil and environmental engineering at UC Irvine has been at the forefront of sand erosion, replenishment and monitoring discussions and programs as coastal cities try and grapple with shrinking beaches due to severe erosion.

Nikka Shahrokni

Shahrokni founded the nonprofit organization Kreative Kiddos. Shahrokni and the other volunteers teach STEAM-driven activities — which encompasses science, technology, engineering, arts and math — to children at the Rescue Mission, a nonprofit helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness with shelter and other basic needs.

Peter Shea Sr.

The last survivor of three engineers who built a multibillion-dollar construction and homebuilding business in their grandfather’s name. Walnut-based J.F. Shea Co. was the successor to a plumbing and heavy construction company John Francis Shea founded in 1881. It became a family business that helped build the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam. The successor company Shea founded with a brother and a cousin, became one of the nation’s leading heavy construction and homebuilding companies. Shea died on Oct. 23 at his Newport Beach home.

Bill Shopoff

Shopoff hopes to build nearly 1,200 homes with new shopping options carved out of a chunk of the ailing Westminster Mall and its parking lot.

Emily Sissell

As the communications director for the California State Assembly Republican Caucus, Sissell manages a bevy of responsibilities for the Republican Assembly leader as well as the other members of the caucus, from juggling events to interview requests and more. This year, she also played an integral role in the California Republican Party’s fall convention in Anaheim, which brought presidential hopefuls to Orange County.

Vernon Smith

The Nobel Prize winner in economic sciences and Chapman professor is one of 1,600 participants in UC Irvine’s 90+ study, which is examining people in their 90s and how they age. Smith, who is 96, told AARP’s magazine he has no plans to retire. “I’d just do the same thing I’m doing now and wouldn’t get paid for it. I have an ancestor who lived to be 105. I want to live at least to 106.”

Ian “Frank” Tortorici

Tortorici is one of just a handful of U.S. veterans to have been killed in the Ukrainian war. The Marine veteran had been in the Ukrainian International Legion for more than a year when he was killed by a Russian missile strike in the Ukranian city of Kramatorsk. While not famous or influential outside his circle of family and friends in South County, his actions nonetheless could serve as an example for others and may have helped turned the tide in the fight against Russian aggression.

Avelino Valencia

Assemblymember Valencia, who is serving his first term in the state legislature, had his first piece of legislation signed into law this year. It fundamentally changes how Orange County is redistricted. The new law will create an independent commission, starting in 2030, charged with changing the boundary lines for the OC Board of Supervisors.

Katherine White

White is a do-it-all public health nurse with Wound Walk OC. Most nights of the week, she goes to parks and other places where homeless people sleep and offers free, cursory medical help. She also listens to their stories. And, sometimes, she follows up with years of phone calls and advice.

Yuri Williams

Williams is an OC probation officer who dresses up as superheroes to cheer up sick children and the homeless, including adults. He also raises money, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has supported his efforts.

Debora Wondercheck

The founder of the nonprofit Arts & Learning Conservatory created and produced the multi-generational Gospel Voices of OC for the second year at Chapman’s Musco Center in conjunction with Juneteenth 2023. In 2023, reader-nominated Wondercheck also produced 22 musical theater productions and coordinated music courses both in the community and multiple school districts, impacting more than 2,400 students.

Bryce Young

The Mater Dei High graduate and former Heisman Trophy winner was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in the spring, going to the Carolina Panthers. Young and the Panthers have struggled in his rookie season, but the team made a huge investment in him. He was the first Orange County player taken with the No. 1 pick since Carson Palmer 20 years earlier.

Jiin Yun

Yun, 16, created a children’s book, an app and a nonprofit that holds workshops for kids about smarter recycling. Now teens are launching chapters of her group as far away as Georgia.

Source: Orange County Register

Published in Anaheim City Hall, Anaheim Ducks, Cal State Fullerton, Education, health, los-angeles-angels, News, nonprofits, oc-people, politics, Shohei Ohtani, Top Stories OCR and UC Irvine

Meet Orange County’s 125 most influential people for 2023

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Meet Orange County’s 125 most influential people for 2023

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