Ogg resigning as Nebraska State Fair executive director

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — On the heels of a successful Nebraska State Fair, Executive Director Bill Ogg is resigning.

Ogg joined the Fair in 2020 just months before the event held in the first months of the COVID pandemic that saw Nebraska hold a fair when many states did not.

He joined at a tumultuous time, after the previous executive director left and the fair's former finance director was accused of theft.

The 2021 and 2022 fairs saw rising attendance, higher sales, and high marks from vendors and exhibitors.

The 2022 Nebraska State Fair wrapped up with 287,347 visitors, an increase of 8 percent. Ogg said food and carnival sales were also up.

The fair board called a special meeting during the Aksarben Stock Show. Some fair staff members had resigned including the agriculture director.

After the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting on 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.