Sydney Aylward, Duane Cave, and Thomas A. Turk, Ph.D. Join Orange County Business Council Board of Directors
IRVINE, CA (September 19, 2025) — Orange County Business Council (OCBC) brought together community and business leaders on September 18 in Huntington Beach to celebrate the extraordinary courage and dedication of local first responders and frontline heroes. The Orange County Business Council 2025 First Responders Dinner honored individuals and teams across law enforcement, fire, health care and emergency services whose actions protect Orange County residents, visitors and businesses every day.
“Orange County’s first responders make it possible for our communities and businesses to thrive,” said Jeff Ball, President and CEO of OCBC. “Their selfless service ensures that Orange County remains one of the safest and most prosperous regions in the state.”
2025 honoree organizations and their stories included:
- Anaheim Police Department & Anaheim Fire and Rescue — Police Chief Rick Armendariz and Fire Chief Pat Russell
- City of Seal Beach, Marine Safety — Beach Lifeguards Chris Dominguez, Brett Peoples and Beau Wade
- City of Seal Beach, Marine Safety — Beach Lifeguards Dean Frizzell and Ellie Sherlock
- Huntington Beach Fire Department — Fire Captain Kevin Prentiss, Fire Engineer/Paramedic Adam Fugate, Firefighter/Paramedic Rich Sanchez and Firefighter Rider Burnham
- Kaiser Permanente Orange County — Registered Nurses Ellenaine Garces, BSN, RN, Kenneth Fabila, BSN, RN, and Jeremy Guila, MSN, RN
- Orange County Fire Authority — Battalion Chief Nolan McGaughy, Fire Captain/Paramedic Jason Fleenor, Fire Apparatus Engineer Bogar Bonilla, Firefighter/Paramedic Johnathan Fuentes and Firefighter Michael Baham
- Orange County Sheriff’s Department — Deputy Sheriff Lindsey Rhodes
- UCI Health Burn Unit Team
- Young Adult Court Program Collaboration:
- Orange County Sheriff’s Department — Sheriff Don Barnes
- University of California, Irvine — Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science, Education & Law Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman
- Orange County Probation Department — Chief Probation Officer Daniel Hernandez
- Superior Court of Orange County — Presiding Judge, The Honorable Maria D. Hernandez
- Orange County Public Defender’s Office — Former Public Defender Martin Schwarz
- Orangewood Foundation
Emmy Award-winning NBC4 reporter Hetty Chang emceed the awards program, sharing powerful stories behind each honoree’s act of service. The evening also included a conversation with Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, who highlighted the department’s top priorities and its commitment to safeguarding Orange County’s residents, businesses and visitors.
The program also included a solemn moment of silence honoring first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty, including:
- Fountain Valley Fire Department — Fire Chief William McQuaid
- Orange County Fire Authority — Fire Apparatus Engineer Kevin Skinner
The event was made possible through the generous support of title sponsor UCI Health, along with VIP reception sponsor Hoag, gold sponsor Chevron and all the silver and bronze sponsors.
About Orange County Business Council
For nearly 30 years, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) has been representing and promoting the region’s business community together with government and academia to enhance the economic development of Orange County, California. The Council’s core initiatives include advocating for adequate investment in regional and statewide infrastructure, education development that leads to a competitive workforce, advocating for a range of housing, and developing pro-business solutions that lead to economic growth of the nation’s sixth most populous county. Member organizations include businesses and local organizations representing a diverse cross section of industries including biomedical, construction, education, financial services, health care, manufacturing, municipalities, nonprofit, real estate, technology, tourism, transportation, real estate and utilities. For more information, visit ocbc.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Ghebrial
Vice President of Public Affairs, Orange County Business Council
[email protected]
