A longtime Minnesota State Fair entertainment and marketing leader has been named the fair’s new CEO.
Renee Alexander, who’s currently the fair’s deputy general manager, will formally take over the role this spring following the retirement of Jerry Hammer, who has led the fair since 1997.
As deputy general manager for the past 13 years, Alexander has overseen a wide swath of the Fair’s operations, from Grandstand shows to marketing to educational programming to ticketing. Now, as the Fair’s top leader, she hopes to continue strengthening the fair as a “canvas” for people and organizations around the state.
“The Fair is on a great path,” Alexander said Monday afternoon. “There’s a great foundation to the Fair itself, so it’ll just be looking at, how do we continue to improve our operation? Our goal is always to make sure that everyone that comes through our gates has the best experience they possibly can.”
Alexander has lifelong connections to the Fair; the first concert she ever attended was a Kenny Loggins show at the Grandstand, she said. She was a Fair intern in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and returned full-time to its leadership team in 2005.
Showcasing innovation, she said, is at the core of the State Fair. And during her career, she’s seen the Fair grow and change to represent the state and its communities: Food options have become more wide-ranging. Agricultural judging criteria have modernized. With buildings like the Eco Experience and the Miracle of Birth Center, educational opportunities — a particular interest of Alexander’s — have blossomed. But she doesn’t believe in switching things up just for the sake of change.
“That’s the beauty of how the fair has evolved over time,” Alexander said. “The main traditions are going to stay. There are things that are sacred — and we have the ability to change out some things as interests evolve.”
Under the leadership of outgoing CEO Hammer, the organization’s longest-serving leader, the fair has grown and built long-term sustainability. Over the past decades, he led $180 million in upgrades, expansions, and restorations of the Fairgrounds and Fair facilities and helped launch the Minnesota State Fair Foundation to fund these projects and keep the Fair financially healthy.
“Renee is perfect for the job,” Hammer said in a statement announcing Alexander’s new role. “She has a deep understanding and appreciation for the State Fair’s powerful impact here in Minnesota and beyond. She knows what it takes to keep the shine on our state treasure.”
