Jerry Hammer has worked for the Minnesota State Fair since the 1970s. Photos: State Fair/AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images.
Longtime Minnesota State Fair CEO Jerry Hammer will retire next spring after more than 50 years working for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Why it matters: Hammer has been at the helm of the organization for more than two decades, overseeing massive growth and transformation at one of the biggest state fairs in the U.S.
- Most recently, he led the fair through 2020's COVID cancellation and efforts to return to a more "normal" experience post-pandemic.
Flashback: Hammer got his start as a high school student working in the fair's greenhouse. He joined the operation full time in 1977 and was named CEO in 1997.
Of note: Hammer lives in St. Paul's Como Park neighborhood, a stone's throw from the fairgrounds, and was known to ride his bike around the 322-acre site, per the Star Tribune.
What's next: The fair's board of managers will begin a search for a successor, per a release. Hammer will stay on through the spring to help with the transition.
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