мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼

Hennessey announced Friday that he will serve as the state Department of Labor's regional representative in the North Country. The new assignment will allow him to be closer to his family near Watertown.Ìý

The new assignment is a continuation of Hennessey's career in state government. He held positions with the state Office of General Services and Department of Transportation before joining the state fair in 2022.Ìý

Hennessey applied to be the assistant state fair director under Troy Waffner, the fair's longtime director. But after he was hired, Waffner left for another job. Hennessey was named interim director.Ìý

Although Hennessey only served as fair director for two years, it was an important period in the event's history. The fair had record-breaking attendance in the four years before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the state fair was canceled — the first time the fair had not been held since World War II.Ìý

The fair returned in 2021, but attendance lagged. It began to bounce back under Hennessey's leadership. Last year, the fair drew 932,699 visitors — the most since the COVID-19 pandemic.Ìý

"I'm incredibly proud to have directed the fair since 2022 and to have been a part of the achievements realized during that time," Hennessey said.Ìý

With Hennessey's departure, Julie LaFave has been named interim director. LaFave was hired in 2023 to be the fair's operations director. She will lead ongoing preparations for the 2024 fair while the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees the fair, searches for a new director.Ìý

"Having had the experience of working closely with Sean over the last year and through an incredibly successful fair, I feel ready to hit the ground running as interim director as we enter the 2024 fair season," LaFave said. "I look forward to building on his work with our team to bring New Yorkers another great year at the Great New York State Fair." 

The 2024 fair begins Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 2.Ìý