Marsha Davis, executive director of Murata Business Center in Carlisle since January 2004, will retire from the post at the end of this year. Davis will be replaced by Karen Gunnison, a lawyer from Silver Spring Twp. whose legal practice focused on general business.

Murata is a small business incubator. The center provides new and emerging businesses with space at below-market rent rates. The center also offers businesses shared administrative services and a support network. The center mostly houses high-tech startups.

Davis came to Murata after a career as a serial entrepreneur. Davis in 1985 co-founded Dasher Inc. Davis along with her partner, Bev Lesher, built Dasher from a small mail service company occupying 2,000 square feet to a full-service direct marketing center now in a 41,000-square-foot facility.

Davis said she is leaving Murata to travel. She plans to stay active in the region's entrepreneurial community.

Gunnison served as executive vice chairwoman of Modern Transit Partnership, promoter of the Corridor One regional commuter rail project. She was an unsuccessful candidate for Cumberland County Commissioner on the Republican ticket in the spring primary.

Gunnison will work with Davis through the end of year before taking over in January