(Jeff Curtis)
Jeff Curtis is the newly appointed Director of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, with a starting date of February 9. We sat down with the new director to learn more about him, and his plans for the region’s largest
gathering space.
Tell us about your background, and your experience in this industry.
My career goes way back, into sports management in minor league baseball, leading up to a position with the Seattle Mariners. Most relevant to my current position, I spent 25 years with the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, with 18 years as the CEO. After that, I spent three years running the Alaska State Fair. My career has given me the opportunity to plan and run events like parades, multi-day fairs, concerts, airshows and other massive draws that brought in thousands of people. And now, I consider myself to be a steward of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. I’m looking forward to learning more about the people and events of the region, to see what works and what we can highlight, enhance and improve upon.
Aside from the new position, what excites you about coming to Central Oregon?
I was raised in Spokane, Washington, so it feels good to be back home in the Pacific Northwest. My family has vacationed here for years. I love golfing, and when I was living in Portland, I constantly made the drive over the mountains to play on some amazing Central Oregon courses. Overall, my family and I love the outdoor recreation that exists here, from seemingly infinite hiking possibilities to enjoying the river. I’m excited to get out and about, to explore this region and to live a balanced life. I’ve always pursued that balance, in work, play and family. Central Oregon seems like a place where my family and I can find
that balance.
Tell me about your feelings as you were first coming into this position. How does it feel to be guiding the future of the region’s largest gathering space?
After being in Alaska, as beautiful as that state is, it feels like I’m coming home. I am happy and honored to take my talents to the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. My first thought upon seeing the property was “wow, this place is spectacular.” When you look at the grounds, you don’t see age. You see respected, well-taken-care-of infrastructure with smart layout for parking, events and even just to see geographical landmarks like the Cascade Peaks. I think it is such an amazing opportunity to be in charge of such a special piece of land, here in Redmond. I’m honored to be its steward and guide into the future, and I’m certainly looking forward to my tenure here.
Tell me about how you will run the show. What changes are planned for the fairgrounds? What will remain the same?
The first step is to step back. I think it is vitally important to my position to take some time and evaluate not only the entire property, but also the region and the many people who call this place home. It is so important to merge my own feelings, ideas and understandings with that of the community. I don’t want to come in and make vast swaths of changes without understanding what this place means to people. I need to understand how the space is used, what’s been working and what can be improved upon. I need to get to know the region on a personal level to better understand how I can improve this beautiful property. Once I learn more and get the chance to consider public opinion, changes will naturally grow and evolve going forward, but I have no sweeping changes at the moment. For now, I’m excited to run some events and learn more about the region.
Which event/events are you most excited to see, personally?
The Deschutes County Fair, without a doubt. It’s the crown jewel. At every fairgrounds across the country, as much as we take pride in every other event and booking, the pinnacle, the showcase event of the year, is the fair. Ultimately, we are the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center. It’s in the name. I want to bring a lot of new energy here, to an already quality fair. I’m so excited to see it for the first time, to see it in person, to see who comes, to see why people come, and adapt from there. I really consider it to be the shining star event of the year. I’m most excited about those five days in July. I was able to reach record attendance during my tenure in Alaska, and I’m excited to see how we can continue to make this fair the highlight of the year.
