Fairgrounds Chief, Citing a Divided Board, Resigns Post

Confronted with a deadlocked board of directors, the chief executive of the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Tuesday resigned the post he held for three years.

Roger Gibbs, 56, said a 4-4 philosophical split on the board -- and one vacant seat -- has made it impossible for him to make progress on a variety of issues.

The division was evident at a fair board meeting Tuesday, when members twice failed to reach a consensus on who would lead the board next year.

“They were stymied today on the president and vice president. You don’t move forward that way,” said Gibbs, who made the announcement after a one-hour closed session with board members. “If I can’t make that change, someone else has to.”

Assistant General Manager Ed Barlow will fill Gibbs’ job until board members hire a permanent replacement.

Gibbs’ resignation comes about one month after he was placed on paid leave, without public explanation and amid questions on whether such action -- apparently ordered without consent of the full board -- was proper.

Those questions remained unanswered Tuesday.

Board President Greg Carson said he “can’t talk about anything” related to Gibbs’ suspension or resignation.

He also said he does not consider the board split a problem.

“We’re fine,” Carson said. “Now that we’ve moved past this issue -- the staff issue -- I think we can move forward.”

Gibbs said he never received a reason for his Nov. 12 suspension.

His attorney, Jonathan Light, said the issue is moot now that Gibbs has resigned. No court action is planned against the board, he added.

“He just wants to move on with his life,” Light said.

Gibbs’ supporters who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting described him as a caring and friendly manager who “wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.”

“Shame on you,” fair volunteer Dorothy Fosdick told board members. “You’ll never find anyone who will make a better manager than Roger Gibbs.”

Don Leach, a former fair board member, called Gibbs’ resignation a loss for Ventura County. He also predicted that a flood of volunteer resignations would follow.

“The community shows their displeasure by not attending events,” Leach said.

Fair volunteers said the board rift stems from a desire by some to push traditional, low-profit community activities out of the 62-acre oceanfront fairgrounds at Seaside Park and turn it into a high-end entertainment center.

A long-term master plan is being developed for Seaside Park and the fairgrounds, a collection of aging Quonset huts, stables and an open-air arena for racing.

Volunteers expressed dismay over the divided board, saying they feared that little would be accomplished in the coming year.

Gov. Gray Davis has yet to appoint the ninth voting member.

“I had hoped that the board would get on with the business it should, but as I’ve seen, it’s not,” longtime fair volunteer Norm Davis said. “I’d much rather see most of the board leave.”

Gibbs, who earns about $93,000 a year to manage the fairgrounds and the annual Ventura County Fair, will be paid through Jan. 13.

He said he is looking forward to traveling and spending time with his five sons and four granddaughters. He and his wife, Sharon, will move from their Ventura home to Banning, where his in-laws live, Gibbs said.

Gibbs came to Ventura after managing the Colusa County Fair in Northern California for 16 years. He had hoped to work five years here and then retire, he said.

“I’ve enjoyed being here -- it’s the best fair in the state,” Gibbs said.

“My goal was to come here because it’s the best, and I wish them the best.”