RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recently named Kent Yelverton of Fremont as the new manager of the North Carolina State Fair. Yelverton replaces Wesley Wyatt, who retired after 38 years of state service.

“I am always pleased to have well-qualified and dedicated staff members step into new leadership roles at the department,” Troxler said. “I am confident that Kent’s background in civil engineering will bring a skill-set to the day-to-day operations of the State Fairgrounds that will be very valuable. In his previous role with our Property and Construction Division, he worked side-by-side with Fair administration to develop our current fairgrounds footprint, so he knows the facilities well and is focused on year-round operational growth.”

Yelverton has worked 26 years with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He began his career in 1992 as a consulting engineer, before successive promotions to facility agricultural engineer, engineering director and director of the Property and Construction Division.

Yelverton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from N.C. State University and is a registered North Carolina professional engineer.

The 344-acre North Carolina State Fairgrounds is a dynamic year-round multi-use entertainment venue located in Raleigh. Operating as an NCDA&CS enterprise division, the Fairgrounds hosts over 2.5 million visitors at 500 events annually, including the facility’s premiere event, the 11-day N.C. State Fair in October. This year’s fair runs Oct. 11-21.