Bill Ogg leaving Nebraska State Fair

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- The Nebraska State Fair Executive Director announces that he will be leaving.

Bill Ogg said he intends to resign his position and to assist with the transition to new leadership.

“I was hired in 2020 to ‘right the ship,’" Ogg said. "The 2022 Nebraska State Fair, with record numbers in several areas and positive surveys of exhibitors, vendors and the public, is once again heading in the right direction and full steam ahead. The effort we put in has been both exhilarating and exhausting, and I am ready to invest more time with my family and for myself."

“We are grateful for Bill’s hard work on behalf of the Nebraska State Fair and Aksarben Stock Show," said Nebraska State Fair Board Chairman Bob Haag.

Haag said that Ogg's efforts through COVID-19, the increased attendance and positive financial position are testaments to Bill's leadership.

“Coming aboard in the middle of COVID-19 was so very challenging,” Ogg said. “I’ll always be proud of the celebration of Nebraska 4-H and FFA youth that the 2020 Fair was able to host. That was memorably rewarding.”

After the Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting on Friday, Oct. 14, Ogg will assume the position of Executive Director emeritus and will work closely with longtime Deputy Executive Director Jaime Parr to transition duties and responsibilities until a new executive director is selected.

In the coming weeks, the Nebraska State Fair Board intends to announce the process for identifying, recruiting and selecting its next executive director.

“I’m grateful for the trust the Nebraska State Fair Board placed in me to lead a Fair struggling financially with public trust issues," Ogg said. "Together we have managed to improve from a $1.7 million deficit to nearly $9 million cash on hand and I genuinely believe we have significantly regained the public’s confidence."