People wait in line for rides at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville in August 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)
After the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Andy Beshear should have appointment power over the State Fair Board, the board removed the leader of the organization that oversees the fair.
The move to oust David Beck as president and CEO came in a special meeting on Wednesday, according to Louisville media reports. The YouTube livestream of the meeting, which had been included in the State Fair Board’s agenda, had been set to private as of Thursday morning.
When asked by the Lantern about the action in a Thursday press conference, Beshear said he was supportive of the decision to remove Beck, and said he “was not willing to work with me, and made that pretty clear” and had “led a charge to prevent any form of accountability from a governor.”
“What we got from the Supreme Court is a decision saying that I ultimately am accountable for what the fair board, and these other boards the legislature tried to make independent, do,” Beshear said. “The buck’s got to stop somewhere in the executive branch, and it stops with the governor. There’s no fourth branch of government made up of these boards. If I’m going to be accountable, then the person who heads that board and runs that operation has to be willing to be accountable to me and work with me and the various board members.”
The board’s meeting agenda, which was published online Tuesday, says that new members would be sworn in before a private discussion “that may lead to the appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an individual employee, contractor or member.”
The fair board is the governing organization of Kentucky Venues, which manages state event facilities like the Kentucky Exposition Center and the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville. According to its website, Michael Berry is serving as interim president and CEO. He managed the Kentucky Derby Festival for more than 20 years.
The Kentucky State Fair begins Aug. 20 in Louisville at the Expo Center.
A spokesperson for the Kentucky State Fair Board did not return a phone call and email seeking comment Thursday morning.
In an opinion released last week, the Kentucky Supreme Court said a 2021 law passed by the GOP-controlled General Assembly that attempted to shift control of the State Fair Board from the governor, a Democrat, to the agriculture commissioner, who is now Republican Jonathan Shell, was unconstitutional. The court also said a 2022 law giving other executive branch officials appointment power over the Executive Branch Ethics Commission unconstitutional.
Beshear added that “we are at a really important time for the fair board and for Louisville, where we can really step up in class.” Humana Tower downtown is going to become a convention-style hotel, and opportunities like that gives Kentucky “a chance to land the size of conventions that Louisville has never been able to compete for, and that benefits the entire Commonwealth,” he said. However, he said to do that, the tasks need “more and better communication and cooperation between organizations” and Louisville visitor and tourism groups.
“And that was a challenge that won’t be a challenge now going forward,” Beshear said.
According to a Monday executive order, Beshear appointed Berry to the State Fair Board, as well as Dorsey Ridley, Cleo Battle, John Cox, Greg Pope, Hans Poppe, Lee Robey and Sadiqua Reynolds, who was removed from the University Louisville Board of Trustees earlier this year after the Senate did not confirm her appointment. The governor also appointed Deputy Secretary of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet Ray Perry as his designee and chair of the board, and Berry as vice chair of the board.
Beshear also said the board must now review contracts, budgets and decisions while the state law was in effect and it was being challenged in the courts.
“Those actions in the past have created a mess that we’re going to work through, but my commitment is you are going to only see an improved operation at the fairgrounds and at the downtown convention center,” Beshear said.
Shell admonished Beck’s ouster in a statement on social media Wednesday.
“We are less than 60 days away from what will be the greatest Kentucky State Fair in our Commonwealth’s history as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday,” Shell said. “Attempting to replace the State Fair Board before the judicial process has run its course creates unnecessary disruption. We should be focused on showcasing the very best of Kentucky and everything that makes America the greatest nation on earth, not creating avoidable uncertainty.”
Under court rules, parties may have until July 15 to seek a rehearing on last week’s decision.
“David Beck is a fine public servant and an even better man who, for years, has championed one of the country’s best state fairs,” said Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman in a statement to the Lantern. “As we work to preserve the Kentucky State Fair, we are reviewing this opinion and working with Kentucky’s other constitutional officers to determine next steps.”
Louisville Councilman Anthony Piagentini, a Republican, was critical of the board’s move on X Wednesday.
“No offense to Mr Berry, but running the Derby Festival compared to running KY Venues is like running a food truck compared to running McDonalds,” Piagentini said. “Governor Beshear doesn’t give a crap about helping us. This will do huge damage to this city. There was no reason to do this.”
Beck had been president and CEO of Kentucky Venues for about eight years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he worked with Kentucky Farm Bureau for more than 40 years.
This story has been updated with additional comments.
