Robert Reed resigns as fair manager

Reported in The Delaware Gazette 3/10/03
Gazette staff reports

Robert Reed of Powell, manager of the Delaware County Fair for less than two years, has resigned. Reed submitted his resignation Friday and will leave after this week.

Tom Wright, chairman of the fair board’s personnel committee, said Reed’s resignation was for personal reasons.

“He wanted to spend more time with his family,” Wright said. “… The fair is very demanding of one’s time throughout the day and into the evening hours.”

Reed, who was hired after longtime Fair Manager Bill Lowe left to join the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, could not be reached for comment this morning.

The board was satisfied with Reed’s performance, Wright said.

“Rob did a lot of good for us,” he said. Organizationally, he brought the fair to “a level that we weren’t at before.”

“It’s unfortunate that Rob’s made the choice to move on but we wish him well in his endeavors and we will move forward as well,” Wright said.

The fair manager is responsible for maintenance of the fairgrounds, including about 50 buildings. The manager also supervises between six and 20 employees most of the year and 250 employees during fair week. Including harness racing, Wright said, the fair is about a $4 million business.

The fair board will immediately begin looking for a new fair manager, Wright said. “It has to be someone with obviously a strong marketing background but also a strong management background,” he said. “I think you’ve got to find somebody having a strong passion for Delaware and the fair; that probably ranks above the other two (qualifications).”

Wright said the fair board has set no hiring deadline .

“When the person is right for the job, that’s when we’ll fill it,” he said.

Reed, who started as fair manager in June 2001, formerly was director of corporate sponsorship and advertising for the United States Trotting Association at Columbus.

The 2002 county fair drew 161,566 visitors. This year’s fair will be Sept. 13-19.