Surrounded by second guessing, Rednour leaves fair to chair State Bank
Trying to second-guess why John Rednour Jr. resigned Friday as manager of the Du Quoin State Fair after an 11-year run to chair the board of his father's Du Quoin State Bank has been a week-long spectator sport in Du Quoin.
Rednour released the story through fair publicist Shannon Woodworth late Friday afternoon.
The decision comes only six weeks after John Sr.'s death and only a month after the family's shares voted to elect Rednour's widow, Wanda Rednour, as bank chairwoman.
At the time, Mrs. Rednour said that her son's work was not finished at the Du Quoin State Fair, which during John Rednour Jr.'s run had grown non-fair revenue from about $33,000 annually to over $700,000 with the help of his staff, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and event-holders who have signed on to lease the grounds for their events.
Non-fair revenue is considered revenue generated outside of the 10-day fair that stretches from late August until Labor Day.
The most recent was Indianapolis-based Family Events, formerly The Promotion Co. which last year returned the Street Machine Nationals to Du Quoin. It will be back in 2014 and beyond.
"I felt like it was important that the fairgrounds had a positive economic impact year-round not just during the 10 days of the fair," Rednour said.
John Rednour Jr., announced in a prepared statement that he is stepping down as manager of the Du Quoin State Fair in order to fill his late father's shoes as chairman of the board at the Du Quoin State Bank.
"This is something that my father wanted," Rednour said. "This is a man that I have loved and respected all of my life and there is no way I intend to let him down. He worked tirelessly to make this bank great. Now I am honored to be carrying on my father's tradition of hard work and dedication."
John Rednour Sr. passed away on Dec. 1 after a lengthy battle with numerous health problems. He was 78.
"Just before last year's fair, we were concerned that dad was going to pass then," Rednour said. "He told us he was going to live to enjoy one more fair and he certainly did it. He was always a man of his word."
The late John Sr., and his wife, Wanda, were well-known for their annual party at the start of the Du Quoin State Fair. Thousands from throughout Illinois attended their parties each year.
"This is another tradition we intend to continue," Rednour said of the annual party. "These parties have been important to southern Illinois for a number of reasons. A lot of important decisions have been made in my parents' backyard."
Rednour was appointed manager of the Du Quoin State Fair in 2003 by former Governor George Ryan.
"I've had 11 great years as manager of the fairgrounds," Rednour said. "It was my dream job. I grew up on the fairgrounds in my parents' home. To be able to manage the fairgrounds, to be able to make decisions that impacted the Southern Illinois economy and created so many jobs, was a big dream come true."
Rednour has worked for the state for 22 years. He has worked under the following state leaders: Dawn Clark Netsch; Lolita Didrickson; Dan Hynes; George Ryan; Rod Blagojevich; and Pat Quinn. He is also a former United Mine Workers coal miner and a steel worker. He has been a Perry County Democrat Party leader for many years. He and his wife, Laurie, have two children, Lauren and John Rednour III.
The politics of the beer concession contract last year triggered all kinds of rumors of state investigations, largely spread by those connected with the Combined Veterans of Illinois who lost the contract, but all of those have proven to be unfounded. No computers were confiscated. Nobody was escorted out of anywhere.
The only thing hinted at that may have substance was a possible human resources complaint last summer that was sparked by differences of opinion on one or more aspects of fair operations. But, that's common in managing something as large as the Du Quoin State Fair.
Rednour's successor has not been named, Illinois Department of Agriculture spokesman Jeff Squibb said. There has been no thought to naming an interim or permanent fair manager yet. There are processes to identify that person. Fair staff members say they hope the decision comes quickly.
In the meantime, there are enough high quality staff members at the fair and in the bank to go seamlessly forward into 2014.