Minnesota State Fair CEO will retire after 50-year career
A career spanning more than five decades, beginning when he was 15, will come to an end this spring for one long-time Minnesota State Fair staple.
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A career spanning more than five decades, beginning when he was 15, will come to an end this spring for one long-time Minnesota State Fair staple.
Long-time Minnesota State Fair CEO Jerry Hammer will retire from his position in the spring of 2023, according to a press release.
Hammer’s career spans 53 years, including the last 26 as CEO – the longest-serving tenure in its 169-year-old history, the release said.
"I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve this amazing place for so long," Hammer said in a statement. "What a great gift it is when your life’s work is bringing people together to celebrate the very best of each other. This is way more than an agricultural fair. It’s a uniquely Minnesota-style celebration of our humanity."
During Hammer’s tenure as CEO, the fair has seen growth in attendance, programming and revenue with an estimated annual economic impact in the Twin Cities of $300 million.
Throughout his career, Hammer was tasked with both growing the fair, and dealing with hardships, including the unprecedented decision to cancel the 2020 state fair due to COVID-19. The 322-acre State Fairgrounds underwent nearly $180 million in major improvements and upgrades during his tenure, including renovation of historic facilities, new construction and expansions of the fairground landscape, amenities and infrastructure with no public funding.
Hammer is quick to credit his staff for the fair’s successes, saying in the statement, "They make everything go … The fair is in exceptionally strong hands."
The State Fair’s board of managers will initiate a search process to name Hammer’s successor, according to the announcement. Hammer will stay on as CEO into the spring to help with leadership transition.
Hammer began working for the State Fair in 1970 at the fair’s greenhouse as a 15-year-old high school student, according to the announcement. He joined the full-time staff in 1977 and served in a variety of positions in events, media, marketing, public relations and senior management before being appointed CEO in 1997.