Mike Paluszak, who has been the general manager of the Solano County Fairgrounds for the past six years, has left to become chief executive officer of the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center, Marketing Director Debbie Egidio said.

“The appointment was confirmed only yesterday,” Egidio said Thursday.

The announcement was made during the Solano County Fair Association Board of Directors meeting, she said.

“The board of directors is extremely saddened to see Mike leave the Fairgrounds,” board President Denese Allen said.

“He has done a fantastic job here, and we’ve been fortunate to have his leadership for the past six years through many transitions at the Fairgrounds, including the first stages of the Solano 360 project,” Allen said.

“He has so many wonderful qualities that make him a great fairgrounds manager, and we know that he will do an excellent job in his new position just as he did here.”

The Solano County Fair Association was started in 1949 to produce the annual county fair. It is a nonprofit agency governed by its board.

Linda Seifert, the District 2 supervisor who is chairperson of the Solano County Board of Supervisors, said, “Solano County has been most fortunate to have Mike serve as our Fairgrounds’ general manager for the last six years.”

She said Paluszak brought “innovation and new energy to our fair,” and has been committed to making fairground events family-friendly experiences.

“The annual Youth Ag Day program that introduces all the county third-graders to our county’s agricultural heritage has continued to grow under his direction,” she said.

Seifert praised Paluszak for his other public activities, too.

“He has been a community leader serving on a variety of boards with missions that range from increasing tourism in our county to addressing domestic violence,” she said.

“I know that I speak for the board of supervisors in wishing him well as he moves forward and in acknowledging that replacing him will not be an easy task.”

Paluszak’s appointment to the Oregon State Fair was announced by Gene Derfler, chairman of the Oregon State Fair Council, the 11-member panel that is that fair’s and Expo Center’s board of directors.

“Mike is the right leader at the right time for the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center,” Derfler said.

“He is widely respected and admired throughout the fair industry, and he is committed to building on the Oregon State Fair’s reputation as one of the best in the country, and to bringing financial stability to the Expo Center.”

Paluszak said that one of his primary objectives in his new post will be to design a new business model for the fair and Expo Center, which the Oregon state legislature recently classified as a public corporation. Previously, it was controlled by the Oregon State Parks Department.

Paluszak started his fair industry career 35 years ago as executive director and fair manager of the Las Vegas Jaycees State Fair.

Several years later, he moved to California, where he became the chief executive officer and general manager of the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee.

From 1989 to 2000, Paluszak was chief executive officer and general manager of the Ventura County Fair.

In 2000, he started his own event management and consulting company, Crystal Events, catering to fairs, event organizations, venues and other companies.

Paluszak accepted the position of general manager of the Solano County Fairgrounds in 2008.

“His leadership and experience have been critical in guiding the Fairgrounds and its annual fair through a number of operational changes over the past several years,” Egidio said.