By Patricia Beech-
Lizabeth Lafferty, the President of the Adams County Agricultural Society, has been appointed by Governor John Kasich to a seat on the Ohio State Fair Expositions Commission.
The 14-member commission oversees nearly 200 shows each year, including the Ohio State Fair.
Lafferty, who will represent all of Ohio’s County Fair Boards on the Commission, was approached earlier this year to gauge her interest in the position.
“I told them I’m always interested in taking a better seat at the table,” she says. “I never want to close a door, especially if it’s going to better our county or better our fair.”
Nevertheless, Lafferty says she was shocked when the e-mail announcing her appointment arrived from the Governor’s Office.
“It was a total surprise,” she says. “But I’m really excited to be a voice for southern Ohio.”
She says that in this new position she’ll be making a lot of connections that she hopes will benefit Adams County.
“Taking a seat at this level brings more opportunities and resources,” she said. “I want to further our relationships with key players who can help us in every avenue associated with producing a county fair from the agricultural end of it, to the 4-H side of it, to the promoters and the buyers.”
With Lafferty at the helm in recent years, the Adams County Fairgrounds has been transformed into a facility that conducts business year-round, not just the week of the fair. Annual car shows, livestock shows, horse shows, weddings, camps, demolition derbies, auctions, fitness groups, cloggers, company picnics, Freedom Fest, awareness groups, and 4-H activities keep the facility occupied and maintained.
Lafferty is replacing Greg Simpson, former fair manager for the Clermont County Fair Board.
She is the second Adams Countian in 10 years to be appointed to the Ohio State Fair Commission.
Doug White of Manchester served as a member of the Ohio Expositions Commission from Feb. 2011 through Dec. 2016. White also previously served as president of the Ohio Senate from 2003 to 2005 and as Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce in Governor Bob Taft’s Cabinet.
Lafferty’s term on the Commission’s board began Dec. 2, 2018 and ends Dec. 1, 2024. As an Ohio State Fair Commissioner, she will be required to attend one meeting per month and spend 10 days of the Ohio State Fair on the state fairgrounds in Columbus.
In addition to her new position, Lafferty is the Superintendent of the Adams County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Vice-President of the Adams County Medical Foundation, and President of the West Union High School Athletic Boosters. She is a lifelong resident of Adams County, residing in West Union with her husband, Dane Clark and their daughter Alexandria.
She plans to spend the next few weeks becoming more familiar with her role as an Exposition Commission board member.
“There’s a lot to cover,” she says. “But I believe everything happens for a reason and I’m excited to get started.”
Established in 1961, the Ohio Exposition Commission produces the annual Ohio State Fair and hosts many other public events throughout the year. The Commission’s 14-member board consists of the Agricultural Chair of the Ohio Senate, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Chair of the Ohio House of Representatives, the Director of Development, the Director of Agriculture and the Director of Natural Resources. Of the nine Commission members appointed by the Governor, no more than five may be from any one political party. Expiration of appointed terms is staggered to ensure the continuity of the Commission at all times.
Considered one of the most dynamic and unique event venues in the midwest, the Ohio Expo Center occupies 360 acres in the heart of Columbus, just north of downtown and minutes from Port Columbus International Airport.
According to the Commission’s website, the Expo facility comprises more than “one million square feet of event space under roof; on-site parking for 14,000 vehicles; seating for 20,000 people and ties for 2,000 cattle” – making it one of the most flexible and accommodating sites capable of being customized for a variety of events.
