On Feb. 2, Peterson returned to the DCU Center as its new general manager, following the retirements of former general manager Sandy Dunn and assistant general manager Jim Moughan.
Amy Peterson first joined the DCU Center family in 2008, when she became the 100,000-square-foot arena and convention center’s director of marketing. Her career later took her across Worcester, including serving as chief of staff for the City of Worcester. On Feb. 2, she returned to the DCU Center as its new general manager, following the retirements of former general manager Sandy Dunn and assistant general manager Jim Moughan.
How did you react when you found out you’d be the new DCU Center general manager?
It was truly a full-circle moment. I could have never imagined when I walked into the DCU Center as the director of marketing almost 20 years ago, that I'd come back someday as the general manager. Sandy and Jim have led with great integrity over the last three decades. I'm excited to carry their legacy on and continue to grow.
How will your experience as marketing director influence how you’ll lead as GM?
Having prior industry experience helps, as does having existing relationships both within the venue and in the entertainment industry. I have institutional knowledge of how things work. Walking around the building, while there's some new faces, there were a lot of familiar ones.
One of the DCU Center's greatest assets is its people. People who worked here before have children or other relatives who work here now. It just speaks to the passion and the subject matter expertise the building already has that I can rely on.
What type of events would you like to bring to Worcester?
My vision is collaborative. I want to be grounded in the needs of the community around us. I have a lot of ideas, and I won't delay on executing them; but I also want to gauge the environment around us and better understand the demands of the local market in terms of programming and what people want to see.
What is the DCU Center’s impact on Worcester’s economy and culture?
The DCU Center has been an anchor in Downtown for many years. It's been visited by two sitting presidents and served as an emergency overflow for UMass Memorial Health during the COVID pandemic. It plays host to a variety of graduations, proms, and weddings, and other milestone moments in people's lives.
The DCU Center drives the economic success of downtown and area hotels. My goal beyond that is to ensure the local community has a deep and lasting pride in the venue and feels a real sense of ownership.
What is your leadership style?
Approachable, adaptable, and resourceful. Leadership is a behavior, not a title. I may have the title of general manager, and I'll be responsible for a lot of things; but at the end of the day, I'm no different than anybody else that works here. We just need somebody driving the ship.
What makes the DCU Center stand out as an entertainment venue?
Worcester is home to the people who live here, but it's also home to the performers that come through and that spend a good part of their lives on the road. The DCU Center is a place of many firsts: first concerts, first dates, first kisses, and other memorable moments like reunion tours and farewell tours. We become a part of those experiences and a part of people’s memories.
After the pandemic, people’s entertainment habits changed. What do you think brings audiences for in-person events now?
We survived the pandemic with the help of artists delivering entertainment through streaming services and creating online experiences, but one of the things we found is there's no substitution for an in-person experience. We continue to see increased demand for that shared in-person experience, now more than ever.
People are seeking community through live events amidst a loneliness epidemic. Not only are the arts a vital driver of the local economy, but they feed our soul.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron.
