Jarrod Snell taking over as manager of Wayne County Fair

Jarrod Snell has loved the Wayne County Fair since he was a boy.

Now he’s about to manage it.

The Wayne County native was hired to replace fair manager Matt Martin, who is stepping down from the position at the end of the year. He is shadowing Martin in the time leading up to the transition.

“It’s a lot to learn real fast,” said Snell, who took on the role in June. “Every day I learn a new part of the position.”

The role opened his eyes to what happens behind the scenes and the amount of planning that goes into conducting a six-day fair. This year two days of prefair celebrations for the fair’s 175th birthday also were thrown into the job responsibilities.

The fairgrounds are always busy, he said. The event center is booked months in advance, and the whole fairgrounds get used throughout the year.

It all seems to fit into Snell’s interests.

“I do like logistics and problem-solving,” he said.

He also likes interacting with people and saw the fair manager opportunity as a way to make a change.

Previously, he worked in different roles on the poultry operation and Krauss Dairy facility on the Ohio State University Wooster campus for 14 years. Most recently, he served as academic coordinator for Krauss Dairy.

“If it had student in the name, I would be involved,” Snell said.

He coordinated on-farm lab classes and conducted group tours, often involving 4-Hers and FFA members and sometimes legislators.

He also was a member of the Wayne County Junior Fair Goat Committee but stepped away from that role for his new position.

“I’ve been at the fair since I was very little,” said Snell, a former 4-Her and FFA member who showed rabbits, cattle, hogs and poultry projects at the fair and multiple projects including photography, genealogy, archery and rockets.

A Triway High School graduate, Snell and his wife Meghan have three children who also have been involved in the fair.

“I just love the fair and want to share it with everyone,” Snell said.

He sees forming relationships as key to the job.

“You want to see how many good relationships you can build quickly,” he said. “It’s of high importance in this job.”