Mark Campbell remembers bunking down in the aisles and staying overnight in the barn where his prized beef cattle were housed at the county fairs of his youth. He still remembers the first blue ribbon he ever won.

After a lifetime spent at fairs — first as a 4-H and FFA member, then as an intern in fair management and finally as a fair manager for the past 25 years — Campbell has more fair memories than most people. And he’s ready for more.

Campbell, 51, began work Oct. 12 as the Flathead County fairgrounds operations manager. He’s excited about the potential of the facility.

His last job was managing the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Wash., an event that attracts some 700,000 people. Some would argue he’s overqualified for the Flathead County job, but Campbell smiles and says that big isn’t always better.

“It’s not all about being at the big fairs and having a big budget,” he said. “It’s about working with people. This [Flathead County job] provides a great opportunity, it sounds cliché, but an opportunity to be more hands-on” with fair management.

Near the top of his to-do list is listening.

“You have to listen very well and go out into the community and see what they’re interested in, understand what’s important to them for their fair,” he said.

Campbell plans to hold listening sessions to gauge how Flathead Valley residents feel about the fair and how they’d like to see it progress. Like most things in life, fairs come with a natural flow of new people and new ideas, and Campbell said he’ll embrace that change.

“We may try things on a small scale,  so if they’re not successful we’re not tied to it,” he said.

A good fair is all about balance, he noted, finding the right blend of commercial activity to support the traditional programs such as 4-H.

The fairgrounds will get facelifts as time goes on. More green grass may be one of the improvements.

“I love to develop green spaces,” he said, “so people have space for themselves. We’re like a small city and we need planning for the whole environment.”

Campbell has got plenty of ideas about how to improve the fairgrounds, but says it’s too early to share most of them. He knows for sure that one of the oldest barns — used for storage these days — needs to be torn down because it’s a safety hazard.

He plans to do a full building assessment and build from that.

“Horse racing poses a challenge for long-term viability,” Campbell said, adding that the equestrian buildings are “showing dramatic need” for improvement. The practice track and network of horse stalls consume a lot of fairgrounds space, and that will enter into the building assessment.

“We want racing to continue,” Campbell stressed.

Horse racing returned to the Northwest Montana Fair this year under the sponsorship of the All Breed Turf Club. Flathead County gave up horse racing at the fair in 2006, citing a loss of $10,000 per day of racing. The decision followed similar actions by other counties that could no longer afford to subsidize the popular sport.

“One of the things I want to make sure happens is to put a lot of value into the fair,” Campbell said, “to make sure the fair is a good deal for everybody in this community.”

Campbell’s job description as fairgrounds operations manager reflects broader duties that involve managing the Expo Building and Trade Center, which are used year-round.

“They’re great anchor facilities, and a good stage for the rest of the properties,” he said. “I need to look at how to fill the calendar with events that benefit the community and how to get more from those facilities.”

CAMPBELL’S career segued into fair management when he was searching for a profession after working at various cattle ranches and discovered that California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo was the only college in the country at that time that offered courses in fair management. He pursued it because it “pulls a lot of what I wanted together.

“It was working with people, helping build strong programs,” Campbell said. Fair management hasn’t been a job, “it’s being able to do what I love to do.”

After completing fair management internships at the Yuba-Sutter Fair in Yuba City, Calif., and the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Campbell was off and running and managing fairs.

Campbell’s wife, Stephanie, a school teacher in Snohomish, Wash., is finishing up her teaching duties there. They have three children, Aaron, 21; Tyler, 19, both of whom are in college; and Michael, 18, who’s interested in joining the Air Force.

Campbell is well aware of the controversy that surrounded the contract termination of former fair manager Jay Scott, and understands people’s loyalties to a longtime fair leader. But Campbell wants to look forward, not back.

He intends to make the rounds at service clubs in the area, and make himself available to the public.

“This job is 24-7,” he said. “I encourage e-mails and drop-in visits.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.