Angie Reinoehl/MDN Craig Rudland was promoted to general manager of the North Dakota State Fair after the retirement of longtime general manager Renae Korslien.

Craig Rudland has been a part of many North Dakota State Fairs but this year is his first as its general manager.

During Rudland’s 42-year career at NDSF he has held several positions, the most recent being the assistant general manager, which he held for 12 years.

Rudland started his career the summer between his eighth grade and freshman year of high school as a kid who needed a summer job and spending money. As the years progressed, he picked up more shifts, and once he graduated from high school he started working at the fairgrounds full time.

Rudland said it is a fun, fast-paced environment and each day brings a new adventure. One phone call can change the trajectory of his afternoon plans, requiring him to switch gears on the dime, which keeps the job exciting.

His new position comes with its own new challenges. Rudland said the main hurdle is staffing. He said the fair is always recruiting and bringing in high school students for the summer season, but it can be difficult to find volunteer groups that want to pick up some extra volunteer time. Whether it’s working the gates or helping in the barns, he said volunteers are always pleasantly surprised by how fun it is to work the fair.

Rudland said he learned a lot from Renae Korslien, the former NDSF general manager, through his time working with her. While many policies are going to remain the same under the new management, Rudland said he is going to put his own twist on things.

One change Rudland has implemented is the new ticketing kiosks that have popped up around Minot, Williston and Bismarck. Not only are the kiosks more convenient for fairgoers but he said there is also no ticketing fee when purchasing through this method.

Fairgoers can also expect to see new safety measures taking place this year with the addition of metal detectors at all gates.

“I believe we’ve always been a safe place and we’re going to continue to be a safe place. But I think that will put people’s mind at ease, knowing that we’re adding this other layer of security. We want to make sure that families and anybody that comes out here is as safe as they can be,” Rudland said.

Advancing technology is also making its way to the fair. Guests will now be able to scan a QR code with their smartphones to gain easy access to a daily schedule of events and an interactive map of the fairgrounds.

To replace Rudland’s previous position, NDSF has promoted Aaron Ottmar, another longtime employee. Ottmar started at the fair during his high school years and continued to work through his college years but he eventually left to work in law enforcement. Rudland said NDSF was able to “steal him back” when an employment opportunity opened up.

Rudland said many key employees have been working at NDSF for 10-25 years, stating it’s a great place to work.

“You wouldn’t commit 40 years of your life to a job if you didn’t believe in what their mission was. I don’t think there’s much more to say about that. I’ve been here and I’ve been doing this for so many years that I feel sorry for people that aren’t here, and I mean that kind of tongue in cheek. Because it’s such a wonderful place. It brings families together. There’s just so many opportunities for people to come out and have such a wonderful time. I think that’s very important, probably more now than ever for that family unit to come out and enjoy themselves and just enjoy that day,” Rudland said.