Newly-named CEO of OC Fair & Event Center Kathy Kramer gets ready for OC Fair's 125th anniversary event with Interim CEO Doug Lofstrom.
On Friday, Dec. 12, a question that had long surrounded OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., was finally answered: who will lead the company into the future?
It was a mystery that had been on the industry’s mind since veteran fair employee Doug Lofstrom stepped out of retirement and into the role of interim CEO in April 2013 following a few tumultuous years for the company involving leadership scandals and rumors of sales and private management.
OCFEC’s board of directors answered the call with the appointment of Kathy Kramer, who most recently served as VP of Business Operations for Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta. Kramer fell in love with the fair business while producing events at Northlands and found her new position in a way that may sound familiar to job seekers everywhere — “Don’t we just love our industry websites?”
She focused on fairs and checked job boards on the International Association of Fairs & Expositions website daily where she saw the job posting and submitted her resume. “The process was very methodical,” she added.
Though the appointment seems a long time coming, Lofstrom said that timing is pretty much on track from what was planned when he came back to Costa Mesa more than a year and a half ago.
“When I came back my focus was, for lack of a better term, to calm the waters,” he said, adding that the first priority was to complete an organizational needs assessment. “I shared with the board that if they were willing to be patient and take a slow, methodical approach to the search and selection, I would reinstate so that I was in compliance with my retirement, we would get the organizational needs assessment done first so that when they went out to search and recruit, candidates could see the assessment to better understand the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the organization.”
OCFEC’s board acquired the services of CPS HR consulting this June to manage the recruitment process. The original goal was to announce the new CEO sometime in November 2014, so they only missed the soft deadline by about two weeks.
“We weren’t letting the schedule drive the process — the process was driven by the need to be methodical and conscientious,” said Lofstrom. “The board recognized that the selection of a new CEO to lead the organization is probably going to be the most important decision they make.”
Kramer was attracted to OC Fair & Event Center in particular because of its diversity, hosting the multiweek fair, amphitheater shows, agricultural education and other year-round activities, as well as its reputation within the industry. In 2014, OC Fair brought in 1,337,167 attendees with the gate up 8 percent at $7,105,884. During fairtime, the facility's Pacific Amphitheatre hosted acts such as Little Big Town, which grossed more than $300,000 on July 31; and two performances by Rebelution, Aug. 9-10, that grossed more than $480,000.
She’ll finish out the holidays in Phoenix, Ariz., officially beginning her new role Jan. 5 and moving her husband and two rescue dogs (“little foo-foo boys”) to Southern California.
“We’re coming from Canada where it snows, to here where it’s sunny and the beach is close — it’s a win-win all around,” Kramer said, adding that she’s not only excited to begin working because of the facility and its reputation, but also for the opportunity to learn under Lofstrom, who will stay on in an advisory capacity for the next few months, slowly phasing himself back into retirement and back to the stables to spend time with his horses.
“It’s not often where you get an opportunity that anyone in a senior leadership role is able to stay on during the transition,” said Kramer, adding that Lofstrom has an amazing “amount of institutional knowledge” that will help familiarize her with the facility.
Lofstrom has said before that the most impressive thing about OC Fair & Event Center, through its turmoil, is the passion of the staff and success that they’ve had in the midst of difficult circumstances.
“My mission is to learn, listen and lead,” said Kramer. “The staff has done a fantastic job. They’re very talented, passionate, and they know their business, so my job is just to learn.”
Kramer's and Lofstrom’s most immediate ‘job’ is to make the introductory rounds at industry events, with Kramer’s big debut coming at the Western Fairs Association conference in Reno, Nev., Jan. 11-13.
“Before we know it the fair will be here,” said Lofstrom, noting that the 125th OC Fair, themed One Big Party, kicks off July 17. “The goal is to keep the momentum going on things that we’ve been working on for the past several years.”
Interviewed for this story: Kathy Kramer and Doug Lofstrom, (714) 708-1543