This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared in the Orange County Register on Dec. 22, 2023.
Orange County is home to approximately 3.2 million people, so it’s a nearly impossible task to choose .000039% of them to represent a year with so many incredible stories from such a diverse, vibrant community.
Nearly, but not impossible.
We at the Orange County Register relied on nominations from our loyal readers and our staff members who cover the county, and then we compiled our annual list of the 125 most influential people in the county.
Darrell Johnson
As the CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority, Johnson oversaw the completion of a five-year, $2.16 billion widening of the 405 Freeway this year. The agency is also deep into 5 Freeway improvement projects, work on a key section of the 55 Freeway and is nearing completion of the OC Streetcar.