A veteran production manager who has more than 40 years in the entertainment business has been hired to be the new manager of the Washington County Fair.
Paul Hendrickson (Courtesy of Paul Hendrickson)
Paul Hendrickson, 71, of Norwalk, Iowa, previously worked at TMS in Omaha and Insane Impact in Des Moines and served as operations manager of Reliant Park in Houston.
“I’m bringing a lot of experience and industry contacts, which obviously will be very helpful,” said Hendrickson, who also has worked at state and county fairs in California and Washington.
Hendrickson, a member of the International Association of Fairs and Expos, said he is a big fan of the Washington County Fair, which is located in Baytown Township and typically held in late July to early August.
“It operates well,” he said. “It’s a mini version of the Minnesota State Fair is what it is. It’s just easier to get around and obviously closer to parking. Can it grow? Absolutely. They have a lot of open land where the Fair can expand and become bigger, that’s for sure.”
Hendrickson was one of three people who applied for the part-time position.
The Washington County Agricultural Society’s search committee unanimously recommended him to the society’s executive board, said Margot Rheinberger, a member of the board of directors and the search committee. “We hit the jackpot,” she said.
Hendrickson is the father of Beth Thurmes and father-in-law of Ben Thurmes, who is a member of the Washington County Agricultural Society’s executive board, Rheinberger said. Ben Thurmes abstained from the hiring decision.
The previous fair manager, Dorie Ostertag, who also served as treasurer, resigned from both positions on Oct. 21 at the annual meeting of the Washington County Agricultural Society in Baytown Township.
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