Stephen Chambers, retiring Western Fairs Association (WFA) executive director; Liz Waxstein, meetings and trade show manager, WFA.
Stephen Chambers is leaving the Western Fair Association (WFA) after 30 years as its executive director.
“I became the executive director in March of 1987, so in March this year, I will have been the executive director for 30 years,” said Chambers. “I joined the company in 1982 as the company’s legislative expert; I was brought in to work on off-track betting at fairs. When the director left, I stayed and became the boss.”
“I love this industry and I love this job, but one thing I’ve noticed in all sectors is that for long-time executives it rarely ends well and I’m determined to make sure this is a good transition for the company,” he said. “I feel like I am at the top of my game.We’ve had a great convention, the company is solid; this is a great time to go.”
Chambers said he wants to give WFA the time to find a replacement executive director and will serve until replaced. “There’s no timeline,” he said. “The board has a planning session in February; we have an outsider facilitator and we’ll look at the landscape and they’ll work with me. If they recruit someone who is not available right away, then I will handle it till the new person is ready to jump onboard.”
Chambers is already working on next year’s convention in Anaheim, Calif. “I’m excited about it and I expect to go, but I expect there to be a new executive director by then.”
Chambers said he plans to stay in the Sacramento area. “My wife and I have four living parents in the area; we’re not going anywhere.”
“I didn’t grow up in the agriculture community; I was born in Maine,” said Chambers. “I didn’t know a cow from a sheep. But I fell in love with this business.”
Chambers said he loves that the business is constantly changing; the people are constantly changing. “I feel like I’ve been a minor player in a reality TV show for 35 years.”
Chambers most memorable experience was in 2008 when his staff surprised him and inducted him into the WFA Hall of Fame. “What made that so special was that Don Jacques inducted me and he was mentor of mine. It was such a treat. My family was flown in and I was completely thrown off guard,” he said.
Chambers thought this year’s convention went fantastic. “I was one of the few people that knew this year’s convention would be my last as executive director and I tried not to dwell on it.”
“Reno has challenges for us,” he said. “It’s hard to get here. Every category had challenges from sponsorship to trade show to registration. We were significantly over budget.”
“But it all came together, and I think this was one of the strongest conventions WFA has ever put on.”
Chambers most favorite — and least favorite — part of the job is the convention. “We put a lot of time into it and we derive half our revenue from it,” he explained. “It defines our members' loyalty and it defines us. The members expect a great show.”
“I’ll miss the stress and the closure at the end of the convention,” he said. “When the convention is over, it’s over.”
Chambers also said that the direct impact he and the organization have on people making a living is hard. “I put myself under a lot of pressure over that. When funding gets cut, it’s hard. When a new regulation comes along which hurts our members, I take it personally.”
“I know that means some family can’t get the house they want or send the kids to the college they want; those things are very real and scary. The responsibility is huge.”
Chambers said he will miss his staff the most. “My staff is really cool and I will miss them a great deal.”
His future plans include spending time with his family and volunteering at the local animal shelter. “I love dogs and I’ll do things like help WFA, but not as a paid consultant, just as a friend.”
Chambers said the biggest challenge to the fair industry is finding good people to work in it. “There’s not a lot of formal training and you can’t get a degree in fair management,” he said. “We need to give people the time to get the job. It’s like trying to train pilots while flying the plane.”
“Be a mentor,” he said, “That’s the key to keeping the fair manager job alive.”
Michael Paluszak, director and chief executive officer, Oregon State Fair & Expo Center, Salem, and past WFA president, has known Chambers for 30 years. “Steve was the legislative advocate,” he said. “I don’t know if you could find anyone who is more passionate about fairs; he never needs notes and works from memory; he’s forgotten more about fairs than most of us know.”
“He’s a great leader; a good friend of fairs and as a past WFA president, we’ve always stayed close. I admire him a lot. I don’t know anyone who is as passionate and sincere about fairs as Stephen is,” said Paluszak. “He’ll be a hard act to follow and he has giant shoes to fill. He’ll be sorely missed.”
Barbara Quaid is the outgoing president of WFA and the CEO of Ventura (Calif.) County Fair. “There are so many things I could say about Stephen’s leadership,” said Quaid. “He’s been a mentor to so many people and his knowledge of the fair industry and legislative initiatives is phenomenal. There is no one better to lead WFA and we’re all sorry to see him retiring.”
“Many years ago we had a corn roaster at our fair and he was having trouble with the health department,” said Quaid. “Our health department is notorious for being very strict and putting a lot of pressure on the concessionaires. Stephen took that challenge on and he was successful in getting the corn roasters a dispensation from the health department so he could operate.”
“He’s a terrific guy, a great leader, and we’ll all miss him so much,” she said.
Interviewed for this story: Stephen Chambers, (916) 927-3100; Michael Paluszak, (971) 701-6563; Barbara Quaid, (805) 648-3376