Rose Bowl Operating Company to Discuss Merit Raise, Bonus For General Manager

The Rose Bowl Operating Company will discuss a raise for outgoing General Manager Darryl Dunn at its June 16 meeting.

The 7.5% raise comes with a $72,000 bonus.

“Dunn is to be awarded a 7.5% merit adjustment increase to his salary upon a satisfactory performance evaluation for the preceding performance year as determined by the board of directors,” according to a staff report contained in the agenda.

Dunn, the Rose Bowl Stadium’s chief executive officer and general manager since 1999, will retire on June 30.

The pay increase is baked into Dunn’s contract.

“Based on Darryl’s strong performance for the period ending April, 1 2022, per the terms of his contract, he earned a merit raise and a bonus,” said Steve Haderlein. “We understand that on the surface this raises questions. It was earned as part of his performance.”

Dunn deferred a previous pay increase during the pandemic and declined to accept an approximately $50,000 bonus he would have otherwise been awarded as a result of his performance evaluation.

He also voluntarily took a temporary pay cut of approximately 12.5% during the pandemic. He later received the raise.

The City Council recently unanimously approved the fiscal 2023 budget plan for the Rose Bowl Operating Company which shows a projected loss of $2.8 million.

The loss would be covered by the RBOC’s operating reserves,

City documents revealed the budget projections for next year expect total gross revenue of $59.6 million but operating expenditures of $62.4 million, for a net loss of $2.8 million. The loss would be covered by operating reserves, leaving an ending operating available balance of $6.4 million, after reserves.

During that time, the iconic stadium hosted four college football national championship games, international soccer matches and sell-out concerts. The stadium also signed extensions with its top tenants UCLA and the Tournament of Roses.

U2’s 360 Tour in 2009 at Rose Bowl Stadium drew a crowd of 97,014, which set a U.S. record for highest attendance by a single headliner.

Dunn also helped oversee a $200 million stadium renovation and established the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit that has raised more than $50 million to help fund stadium upgrades.