Five Questions: Dan Kinney

Q: What prompted you to take this position?

A: When the board first approached me about doing this, I was quite content to stay where I was. But I’ve been associated indirectly with the fair ever since I’ve been (Springfield-Greene County) parks director, so it wasn’t something I didn’t know something about. Then as I got more involved as the interim manager, it became apparent to me that this was a good fit. I was proud to be associated with one of Springfield and Greene County’s longest running traditions, and I thought it would be a great opportunity. So I said “yes.”

Q: How is this job similar to running the parks department?

A: There are a lot of similarities. Running the events center is like running one great big park in some instances. And then there’s the (Ozark Empire) Fair. At the Park Board, we had Firefall. The fair is kind of like having 10 or 11 Firefalls in a row. I found some similarities and I found great people here, just as there were great people in the parks system.

Q: What’s your first goal as general manager?

A: I think it’s increasing community involvement with the fairgrounds and the other 44 weeks of events that we have out here. The people who come in to help are great, but we can always use additional people – promotions and support groups from the community. Community involvement, from the grassroots level on up, is crucial.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge you face?

A: I think the biggest challenge is staying ahead of the curve in the entertainment business and making sure that we market our facility in the community a little bit better. This place has the largest economic impact on the community of anything that I know of, with events here every weekend that bring people in from all walks of life. The challenge is to continue the tradition that the fair has always implied, but also in a more businesslike way to promote the facility to all sorts of groups.

Q: The Ozark Empire Fair means different things to different people – what’s your favorite part of the fair?

A: My favorite part is seeing the tradition carried out with three or four generations of families coming in together to enjoy the fair. Whether it’s the rides or the agricultural end of it, or the street acts or the entertainment on the stage, my favorite part is seeing families coming together and carrying that tradition on.

Interview by Jeremy Elwood.