The Ohio Fair Managers Association inducted Allan Hess into the Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame, Class of 2017, for his support to Ohio Fairs, the Clark County Fair and his community. The Clark County Fair had nominated Hess, their retired executive director.
Hess has managed the Clark County Fair for over 20 years, He has worked endlessly over 22 fairs, has maintained a pristine record of advancing and promoting the fair during his tenure. Skilled in budgeting, cost controls, negotiating and managing leased operations, developing disaster preparedness programs, developing and instituting training programs, managing and supervising retail sales, supervising full and seasonal employees.
Hess helped find his replacement as retirement loomed, has spent six months working, training and mentoring so the fair board, county commissioners and all others touched by the fairgrounds would experience a smooth transition. Hess, who has Champaign County connections, makes himself available on an as needed basis for grant writing and tech updates. A resourceful, well organized achiever with forty plus years of management experience who is confident, personable and results oriented. He has outstanding communication skills, both oral and written, with a drive to do well; he is motivated, well accepted by others, imaginative, persuasive and prefers roles that encourage initiative and leadership.
While at the Clark County Fair, Hess worked with the Board of Directors and the community to develop Strategic Planning with a futures look involving 115 community leaders in 2001. That plan led to: 2004 Champions Center – $5,500,000; purchase of 186 acres next to fairgrounds, fairgrounds Improvements of Capital improvements – $1,000,000; new roofs and water infrastructure, connected to city water system, repaved fairgrounds roadways, electric upgrades – $330,000; revamped front gate entrance by stacking lanes to reduce back-up on state Route 41 and other accomplishments in the fair and the community too numerous to list.
