by Tammy Taylor
Staff Writer
Gary Roegner, president/CEO and CFE of the Greater Jacksonville Fair, has announced his plans to retire Dec. 31 after 24 years of service.
“I turn 65 in July of this year,” he said. “It is time for me to stop and smell the roses a little bit and let somebody else grab the helm and bring the fair forward.”
Roegner is unsure who will take his place once his retirement becomes effective.
“I have no idea at this point who will replace me. The fair association will set up a personnel committee and do some interviewing and so forth,” he said.
Along with 24 years of service are the memories Roegner will take with him when he leaves. His most memorable, he said, is building the new fairground in 1990.
“It was exciting for me as an individual to see us come from where we were, which was a small office underneath the old Gator Bowl, to our own permanent grounds and facilities,” said Roegner.
Roegner credits the fairground’s completion for helping bring the Jacksonville Jaguars to town.
“The area where the fairgrounds and the arena sits now was a really run down area,” he said. “ We started cleaning it up . . . and had 75 percent of the area cleaned prior to NFL looking at Jacksonville. I’m afraid if they had seen the area prior to that time, they’d have said, ‘No way.’
Roegner also will leave his position with a sense of fulfilled responsibility.
According to Roegner, it is the responsibility of the fair association to teach about agriculture.
“I have seen a lot of young people who have matured, graduated and become fine citizens of Florida,” he said. “The background in agriculture is extremely important to me coming from the agricultural state of Iowa. I really enjoyed seeing the kids grow in the area of agriculture. There are so many young people who think milk comes from a supermarket because they don’t understand a whole lot about agriculture.”
Roegner said he also will miss the interaction with different individuals and the feeling of giving back to the community through revenues generated by the fair.
“The fair is a big business here. It’s revenues have exceeded $2 million a year,” he said.
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The fair has announced its 2004 officers and directors. Attorney C. Guy Bond, shareholder with the firm Patterson, Bond and Latshaw is the new chair. Others board members are Rande M. LeFevre, chair-elect; Charles M. Acree, Richard F. LaMee and Herman O. Jones, vice chairs; Chris Verlander, treasurer; and City Council member Warren Alvarez, secretary.
The 50th Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is scheduled for Nov. 3-14.