Alaska State Fair’s new CEO settling into new role

PALMER — Jeff Curtis was recently named the new CEO of the Alaska State Fair.

“It's been fantastic. I feel extremely fortunate to get this job,” Curtis said. “It is one of the top festivals in the country. They do a lot of great things right here.”

Curtis heard about the opportunity after ASF issued a national call across the country seeking a replacement for the previous CEO Jerome Hertel. Curtis applied for the position and was ultimately chosen as the best candidate for what the ASF board of directors was looking for in a leader.

Curtis has decades of festival and event experience that he's bringing to the Alaska State Fair. He relocated from Portland, Oregon where he served as the CEO of the Portland Rose Festival for 18 years. He was involved for 25 years total and donned many leadership roles.

During Curtis' tenure, the Rose Festival received the Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festival and Events Association twice, in 2007 and 2011.

Curtis also sat on the World Board of the International Festival and Events Association from 2012 to 2019 and served as president in 2018.

"Jeff has a proven track record of success and a passion for community engagement, he brings a fresh perspective and innovative vision to the Alaska State Fair. Having demonstrated exemplary leadership skills and a deep understanding of the festival industry, Jeff is well-equipped to take the fair to new heights, creating an unforgettable experience for both visitors and participants," ASF Board President John Harkey stated in a recent press release.

Curtis has been in Alaska for over a month. He said that he visited the state once when he was a toddler and he has relatives living up here. He said that he's steadily acclimating to his new home and getting to know everyone at the Fair and surrounding community.

"Everything is extremely appealing to someone who likes the outdoors," Curtis said. "It exceeded my expectations. The sheer beauty of the region is incredible. This is an incredibly welcoming place."

Curtis said that he's spending his first season with ASF taking in everything.

"I'm having to learn as we go- to watch and observe the talent of the staff at hand," Curtis said. "The greatest thing I can do right now is observe."

Curtis said that he's paying close attention to the fairgoer experience and he's very impressed with the Fair's track record of balancing free and paid entertainment from Alaskans and visitors from around the world. He said that the Fair does an excellent job of holding onto its agricultural roots with innovative ways of staying fresh and relevant to modern fairgoers.

"I think the fair has done a really admirable job," Curtis said. "I'm learning about what Alaskans feel about their State Fair and it's very positive."

Curtis said the Fair has reached a high level of staying power and draws big names across the music industry to the Borealis Theatre each year, which is no easy task.

"That stands out to me. As a veteran of the industry that's hard to do. I think the fair has done a really good job with its commitment to entertainment," Curtis said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com