Hinds named Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center director

Deschutes County announced Friday it has hired Geoff Hinds as the new director of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.

Hinds, who will assume his post in early June, replaces Dan Despotopulos, who is retiring after serving as the Deschutes Fair & Expo Center director for more than 19 years.

“We’re extremely excited to bring Geoff on board,” said Deschutes County Administrator Tom Anderson. “While our finalists offered a great diversity of skills, accomplishments, and attributes, Geoff’s qualifications as an innovative manager of fair and event facilities combined with his demonstrated success introducing fiscally-sound events of regional and national scale impressed our hiring team.”

Hinds has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds and Adelanto Stadium in Victorville, California, for the past six years. In his current role, he oversees multiple event facilities, directs the San Bernardino County Fair and manages a minor league baseball stadium.

He has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tulare County Fair and as the Fair and Festivals Manager of the San Mateo County Event Center. Hinds earned a bachelor’s degree from Whittier College.

As Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center Director, Hinds will lead the day-to-day operations and marketing of the 320-acre Fair & Expo Center, which, in addition to the highly successful annual Fair, hosts more than 400 events each year.

The facility includes 200,000 square feet of event space, 120,000 square feet of covered livestock and equestrian arenas, 400 horse stalls and a 105 space RV park complex.

Hinds’ arrival marks the first Fair & Expo Center Director transition the county has undertaken in close to 20 years.

“As the county makes this transition, the Board of County Commissioners and Deschutes County Fair Board would like to acknowledge the substantial work of retiring Fair & Expo Center Director Dan Despotopulos,” said county commission Chair Phil Henderson.

“In nearly 20 years as our Fair & Expo Director, Dan has built solid community partnerships and leaves behind an appealing event facility, a vibrant annual fair and a solid strategic plan to bring Deschutes County Fair & Expo into the future.”