Sandy Dunn, general manager of the DCU Center, will retire in January after leading the Worcester arena and convention center for the past 30 years.
Jim Moughan, DCU Center’s assistant general manager and director of sales, will retire in January as well. Combined with Dunn, the two executives have 88 years experience working in the live entertainment industry, according to a press release issued by the DCU Center on Friday.
Jim Moughan. PHOTO COURTESY OF DCU CENTER
Dunn has been in the GM role at the DCU Center since 1995, according to her LinkedIn profile, managing the 14,000-seat arena and 85,520-square-foot convention space. Her tenure included the venue hosting national conventions, major musical acts, and sporting events, including games which were part of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2005.
She began her tenure at the DCU Center in 1983 as a receptionist. Since taking over at general manager, Dunn has been a key leader in the hospitality and entertainment industries in Central Massachusetts, particularly in Downtown Worcester. She has been named multiple times to WBJ’s Power 100 list of the most influential professionals in the region, most recently in 2025.
“It has been an honor to lead the DCU Center and serve this incredible community,” Dunn said in the press release. “I am immensely proud of what our team has accomplished over the years and grateful for the colleagues, partners, staff, and friends who have supported me along the way. Worcester will always be home, and I look forward to watching the DCU Center continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
In addition to her work in Worcester, Dunn oversaw the construction and opening of SNHU Arena in New Hampshire.
Moughan, a native of Leicester and graduate of Assumption University (then Assumption College) in 1981, began his career at the DCU Center in 1982 as an assistant box office manager. He has helped lead a team that has attracted about 400 events every year to the facility.
“Working alongside Sandy and our incredible team has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Moughan said in the press release. “The DCU Center has been my second home for nearly four decades, and I’m grateful to have played a role in its growth and in bringing world-class events to Worcester. I’m proud of what we’ve built together.”
Dunn and Moughan are both technically employees of Legends Global (formerly ASM Global), which has managed the DCU Center since before its official opening in 1982. The firm was purchased by Legends Hospitality in August 2024, after the deal was announced in November 2023. The company's contract to run the City-owned venue was extended for 10 years last October.
“There have been no better or bigger champions for the DCU Center in its 40-plus-year history than Sandy Dunn and Jim Moughan,” City Manager Eric Batista said in the press release. “Not only have they been the custodians of its brand and stewards of its success, but together they’ve been a trailblazing duo in the venue-management industry nationally.”
The venue has been undergoing upgrades over the past few years, including the addition of a new sound system in July.
Marlborough-based DCU Federal Credit Union, which has the naming sponsorship of the DCU Center, is anticipating changing the name of the venue to most likely First Tech Center, after the credit union completes its $29-billion merger with California-based First Tech Federal Credit Union, according to Boston Business Journal.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Dunn and Moughan are both technically employees of ASM Global. In fact, ASM Global is now known as Legends Global, following its purchase by Legends Hospitality in August 2024.Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
