By Jessica Edwards
The Southeast Alaska State Fair last week hired Kelly Hostetler as fair
manager.
Also, the Rasmuson Foundation has awarded the fair a $25,000 grant to
begin a much-needed facelift on Dalton City buildings.
Hostetler began her work as fair manager Jan. 7. "I’ve been
on the board a little over a year," said Hostetler. "I wanted to take it one
step further."
Fair board chair Patrick Metcalf said it was a relief to have the
manager position filled and said he was confident Hostetler was an excellent fit for the
job.
Hostetler was a strong enough candidate that the fact that hers was the
only application didn’t concern the board, he said. "She has a desire to do the
job, has a vested interest in seeing the fair succeed, and has experience. We felt no need
to extend the application deadline."
Vice-chair Deborah Davis concurred. "As a board, we’re
excited. She’s been on the board, so we know her." Davis called Hostetler’s
hire "a great step for the fair."
Hostetler said years of work with the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs,
directing athletics and organizing large fundraising events such as banquets, fun runs,
and marathons, made the fair job a good fit. "I’m not afraid to ask people for
money." She also built and managed a bed and breakfast in Essex, Mont.
Hostetler said the manager job had been significantly streamlined by
former manager Frances Field and interim manager Renee Hoffman, and said the fair had
"come a long way" during their tenure.
After Fields’ resignation Nov. 1, the fair board broke the manager
job into three positions – manager, events coordinator, and entertainment coordinator
– in order to reduce burnout, and allow for more effective management of events,
facilities, and finances.
Responsibilities for the new fair manager include managing employees,
hiring contract workers, writing and implementing the annual budget, applying for grants,
and advertising. The job also entails managing daily operations at the fairgrounds,
including rentals, and keeping buildings up to code.
Hostetler also will be working with an outside consultant to develop a
business plan for the fair. The fair recently received a $5,000 grant for that purpose,
which will be helpful in obtaining future grant money.
The fair manager job pays $20,000 a year.
The fair continues to advertise for an events coordinator to organize
the Haines beerfest, the Spring Fling fundraiser and other events, and assist with the
fair. The job pays $10,000.
The fair recently hired Byrne Power as entertainment coordinator. The
contract position pays $5,000 to coordinate professional entertainers during the fair.
As manager, Hostetler will oversee improvements to buildings in Dalton
City, with work likely take place after the 2008 fair. Hoffman said the fair applied for
the Rasmuson Foundation grant about seven months ago.
Repairs are estimated to cost about $39,000. The $14,000 match required
to leverage the grant will come from fair funds.
Hostetler said eight buildings were slated for repairs, including
fixing leaky false fronts and addressing water damage and rot. Improvements, such as
replacing siding, trim, doors, windows and flashing, will be done at the same time, adding
rental value and increasing durability.
Dalton City was created from structures built as a temporary movie set
for the Disney film "White Fang." It’s important to the fair for generating
rental revenues, Hostetler said, and the improvements are expected to increase revenues.
There’s currently a waiting list for building rentals in Dalton
City. All are currently rented, although many are unoccupied during the winter. "Many
of the buildings aren’t winterized."
Adding new siding, doors and insulation and replacing single-pane
windows with double-pane ones would make buildings more habitable in the winter months.
Most tenants won’t be displaced but some may have to work around
crews, she said.
