Del Mar Fairgrounds COO Tapped as New CEO of Sonoma County Fair

Sonoma County Fair & Exposition, Inc. announced today they’ve hired Rebecca Bartling as its new CEO. Bartling, who has spent more than two decades working in fair management and executive positions, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Deputy General Manager for San Diego County’s Del Mar Fairgrounds, succeeds Katie Fonsen Young, who served as Interim Fair Manager following the departure of longtime Fair Manager Tawny Tesconi late last year. Bartling will begin working December 14th.

The selection of Bartling is the culmination of an extensive, nationwide search conducted by the Fair’s Board of Directors. “We are pleased and excited to welcome Rebecca Bartling to join us and help guide the future of the Sonoma County Fair,” said Teejay Lowe, President of the Sonoma County Fair’s Board of Directors. “She was an exceptional candidate with a proven track record overseeing operations, Master Plan management, acting as an operational liaison for horse racing activities, and managing employee relations and community affairs,” Lowe added. “We are thrilled to bring her broad skill set to the table as the fair grows and evolves amidst changing times.”

During Bartling’s 13 years as the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ COO and Deputy General Manager, she oversaw a 350-acre multi-use entertainment, exhibit and horse racing facility that encompassed 200,000 square feet of trade/consumer show and meeting space, a 44,000 person capacity grandstand complex, a 3,500-9,000 seat multi-use covered arena, a 1-mile dirt and turf racetrack, 2,000 horse stalls, a 10-acre golf/tennis and retail park, an RV Park, and “Del Mar Horsepark,” a 64-acre equestrian facility.

In addition to managing Del Mars’ vast grounds and facilities, Bartling also oversaw departments with a combined operating budget of $19 million as well as fairgrounds operations (maintenance, construction, etc.), security, parking, information systems, the Horsepark, equestrian events, grounds, facilities, District-sponsored events such as the Del Mar National Horse Show, box office operations, Master Plan management, community relations management, and employee relations, as well as serving as a legal and legislative liaison. Prior to serving as the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ COO and Deputy General Manager, she served for eight years as the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ Senior Manager, helping increase the fair’s revenues from $19 million in 1994 to more than $76 million last year as COO. Prior to joining the Del Mar Fairgrounds, she was the General Manager for Ticketmaster’s San Diego operation, which generated $24 million in annual revenue.

The Sonoma County Fair was founded in 1936. Tentative dates for the 2016 Sonoma County Fair are July 23 through August 9. More details will be forthcoming at SonomaCountyFair.com.