Tami Gardner, who has served as executive director of the Olds Regional Exhibition (ORE) for more than 19 years, announced on July 31 that that day was her last in that position.
Gardner's executive director position was amalgamated with her daughter Tracy's position as events manager. Tracy has been with ORE for about 10 years.
Tami Gardner announced her last day via a lengthy email.
"I have enjoyed nearly 30 years of championing the vision, mission and values of ORE, first for a decade as a volunteer and for the past 19-plus years as the executive director," she wrote.
"I am proud of the achievements of the organization during this time and the board and staff’s enduring commitment to agriculture, youth and community — the lens with which all operations and decisions are analyzed and assessed," Gardner added.
"I am especially grateful to a most loyal and dedicated core staff team. I also appreciate the tireless support of ORE’s volunteers and their passion for specific events and ORE. The foundation of all successful not-for-profits is their clients, sponsors and partners, ORE is rich in all these areas."
Gardner said she enjoyed the job — the opportunity to work with friends in the town and the agricultural community.
"These transitionary stages in life generate reflection. I am grateful that I have enjoyed this journey with many family and friends. When you have an opportunity to serve in a capacity that you love, it is an added bonus that it usually attracts like-minded folks," Gardner wrote.
She said she especially enjoyed working with her daughter.
Gardner also paid tribute to her family as well as staff, volunteers and board members she's worked with over the years.
Gardner added in a few philosophical notes via quotations from some pretty famous people.
"Mark Twain, Confucius and others have been attributed as the authors of a version of the statement 'If you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life.'
"That has been true for me over the past 19 years," Gardner wrote. "I love our team, our organization and what it stands for, our clients and customers focused on agribusiness and our indelible impact on youth."
She also quoted the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, chapter 3, verses 1-8, a portion of which reads:
“For everything there is a season, and
a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to
build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a
time to gather stones together."
Noting she's a baby boomer, Gardner ended her email by quoting the Rolling Stones:
"You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need."
ORE president Kerrie Harvie confirmed July 31 was Tami Gardner's last day as ORE executive director.
She said the decision to eliminate Gardner's position and combine it with her daughter's was made back in February. However, she said it was agreed not to put it into effect until midsummer, so Gardner could work on Summer Synergy, an annual gathering of agricultural youth that is very close to her heart.
Harvie said the move had to be made because the ORE has been facing a cost-revenue squeeze for several years, exacerbated by the current economic downturn.
"When our cousins have a sale in say, the Cow Palace, you can only charge them so much money to rent that facility because they only have so much in return that they're making on their bull sales, right? So they can only afford so much," she said.
"So we rent that out, but is it covering all of our costs? No. But if you charge too much, no one's going to use it at all."
On the other side of the ledger, she said, costs keep rising for the ORE.
"It's insurance costs; they continue to climb, the coverall building over there, that's never -- the insurance is never cheap on those things. There's aging buildings that continue to need upgrade," Harvie said.
"We are fortunate that the previous government provided some ag societies -- an energy efficiency grant. So we've been able to put some of -- like updating lighting to LEDs, because all the power and the gas, all those expenses, they add up at the end of the day."
She said granting naming rights for the Cow Palace to Big Rack Rentals helped to some degree, but not enough.
Harvie said she and the board wanted to make "a smooth transition," thus putting the newly amalgamated position in the hands of Tracy Gardner.
"Tracy's been there for a number of years. She's been there for 10 years, so she understands how the business is run so we're comfortable with her and excited for her to take the opportunity," she added.
"Change is never easy, but it needed to happen unfortunately, but... so we're just going to pare down a little bit. When tough economies come into play, right? There's layoffs sometimes that have to happen.
"But it was definitely mutual and we wish Tami nothing but the best. She's been a big part of the ORE, I guess you would say."
Neither Tami Gardner nor Tracy Gardner could be reached for comment by press time.
