PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, Don Brown, has named Scott Stoller, of Chico, California, as the Colorado State Fair General Manager. He assumes his new role on July 1, 2018.
“The Colorado State Fair is the centerpiece of our agricultural education efforts and I’m thrilled that Mr. Stoller will be spearheading our goals of promoting agriculture, supporting our FFA and 4-H youth, improving the Fair’s financial position, and developing additional year-round activities at the fairgrounds,” said Commissioner Brown.
“My personal and professional life has revolved around fairs and agriculture. I’m excited to start this new chapter of my career and to call Pueblo home. I truly believe fairs offer a great service of educating consumers about the role agriculture plays in their lives while honoring the western heritage that helped build this great state,” said Stoller.
Stoller joined the Silver Dollar Fair in Chico, California, in 2009. As the General Manager, he managed all aspects of the fair including marketing, sponsorship, entertainment, competitive events, and supervised its 150 employees. Prior to that, he was the General Manager of the Benton County Fair and Rodeo in Corvallis, Oregon. Stoller has been an active member of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), Midwest Fairs Association, and Western Fairs Association. He earned his Certified Fair Executive Degree (CFE) in 2015 and has served on IAFE’s finance committee and certifications committee for several years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from California State University. From a young age, Stoller was active in 4-H, showing breeding and market animals, including cattle, sheep, and pigs at his local fair and in high school, he transitioned to FFA, where he served as a national delegate twice and ultimately received his National Farmer Degree.
Until Stoller assumes his role as General Manager, former CDA Deputy Commissioner, Chris Wiseman, will remain at the helm of the Colorado State Fair as Interim General Manager.
In part, the position announcement called for “a dynamic leader to efficiently direct the activities of the Colorado State Fair, while effectively meeting statutory requirements for the annual fair and exposition.” Specific duties and requirements include, but are not limited to:
- Responsibility for the efficient production of the annual 11-day Colorado State Fair with a focus on customer experience and satisfaction
- Effectively manage the year round operations of the 100 acre state fairgrounds with 57 permanent building structures
- Manage and balance an $8 million budget with an eye toward budget efficiencies, including development and management of the 5-year budget and strategic plans
- Develop and implement plans to increase facility use outside of the annual State Fair event
- Manage contracts with various entities including entertainment, marketing, vendors, and sponsors
The Colorado State Fair runs August 24 – September 3, 2018. For more information, visit www.coloradostatefair.com.
The 2018 Colorado State Fair will mark the Fair’s 146th year as Colorado’s premier celebration of agriculture. The Fairgrounds provides nearly $34 million in economic activity to Colorado throughout the year; $29 million of that activity is driven by the annual State Fair event. In addition to showcasing Colorado agriculture, the annual event features one of the country’s largest traveling carnivals, artwork, crafts, food competitions, thrilling rodeo action, a wide variety of food and merchandise booths and a Fiesta Day honoring Colorado’s ties to the Hispanic culture.
— Colorado Department of Agriculture
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