In Admiration of Henry T. Segerstrom
From day one of this publication nine years ago, and really for 14 years prior, when I wrote a retail and dining column for the Daily Pilot, I have one person to thank for providing nonstop material to cover: Henry T. Segerstrom.
He single handedly brought culture and commerce to Orange County like no other. He was instrumental in transforming Orange County to a world-class arts and shopping destination. It’s been reported in the LA Times that more than 22 million visitors a year come to South Coast Plaza; it currently boasts about 280 stores with $1.7 billion in annual sales.
Generations of people now have access to arts and culture at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa that rival any big city in the world thanks to his leadership and vision. I am sad to hear of his passing, but beyond thankful for all that he brought to Orange County and for ultimately helping to create daily content for my work.
