REDMOND, OR -- Deschutes County has chosen a new Fair and Expo Center Director. County Administrator Tom Anderson says it wasn’t easy to fill the void left by the retiring Dan Despotopulos, "Dan has been our leader at the Fair and Expo Center for a couple decades, so it’s never easy to replace someone like that."

The county selected Geoff Hinds, who grew up in the fair business and has served as the CEO of several fairgrounds and event centers in California. Anderson says Hinds is uniquely qualified because of that experience, "But he’s also, more recently, developed a skill for other kind of events that we think could expand the business model at the Fair and Expo Center; other kinds of events to fill up the facility, particularly in the fall and winter."

Hinds takes over in June, about two months ahead of this year's fair. But, Anderson tells KBND News, Despotopulos will stay on a few weeks to help with the transition, "Geoff certainly brings his own unique skill-set, but with that overlap, we won’t miss anything in terms of sending Geoff out there without the benefit of Dan’s knowledge of the ins and outs of running the facility." And, Anderson says, he’ll benefit from experienced staff, "Geoff doesn’t have any problems to solve or any issues to deal with. That, more than anything else, probably will ensure a smooth transition because all the people, both there in the office and running the facilities, know what they’re doing."