For the first time in 26 years, the Minnesota State Fair will be under new leadership. Longtime CEO Jerry Hammer announced last summer he was stepping down. Now the fair has announced Renee Alexander will be stepping into the role.
Alexander comes with more than 20 years of experience with the fair and spent 13 years as deputy general manager, playing a key role on the State Fair’s senior management team. Alexander originally worked in entertainment and marketing at the Minnesota State Fair from 1989 through 1994 and returned to the organization in 2005.
“My commitment to the Minnesota State Fair extends well beyond this merely being a job,” Alexander said. “I love this institution and all that it stands for – a showcase of the very best of our state, a place where amazing memories are created and where ‘The Great Minnesota Get-Together’ is more than a slogan; it drives at our mission. I believe my work in this industry and my unique experience will serve us well as I take on the tremendous responsibility of leading this incredible organization.”
Speaking to WCCO's Laura Oakes on Monday, Alexander says she's looking forward to more than $9 million in fairground improvements this year, which follows a couple of lean years during the COVID pandemic.
“It set us back just from a maintenance and improvement perspective,” says Alexander. “You know, we have a campus of 322 acres here and buildings and streets and roofs and all of those things that were a little more neglected than we would have liked because of the financial situation we were in.”
Hammer, who first started working for the fair when he was a high school-aged greenhouse worker in 1970, announced he was stepping down in the spring of 2023.
“Renee is perfect for the job,” said Hammer. “She has a deep understanding and appreciation for the State Fair’s powerful impact here in Minnesota and beyond. She knows what it takes to keep the shine on our state treasure.”
Alexander is a former board chair of the International Entertainment Buyers Association, an active participant with the International Association of Fairs and Expositions and is a graduate of the Leadership Music and Leadership St. Paul programs. She earned a degree in business communications from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and has called Minnesota home since childhood.
Alexander will assume her new duties this spring when Hammer steps down.
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