FAIRLEA, W.Va. — The longtime leader of the West Virginia State Fair announced she’s leaving to take a similar job in Virginia,
CEO Marlene Pierson-Jolliffe, after working with the state fair in various capacities for 25 years, called her departure bittersweet.
The Virginia State Fair was held for years near Richmond International Speedway , but moved to a new venue near Doswell, where the event went bankrupt. It then was taken over by Virginia Farm Bureau.
Pierson-Jolliffe will become vice-president of operations for the Commonwealth Fair and Events.
“I will be managing the planning and operations at the Meadow Event Park,” Pierson-Jolliffe told the Beckley Register Herald.
The fairgrounds, much like the ones in West Virginia, are used for events throughout the year.
Pierson-Jolliffe started working for the state fair when she was in high school. She advanced to assistant manger in 1989 and became manager in 2004.