Resigned Ventura fair CEO faces litany of audit allegations from job in Bishop

A state audit makes allegations of improperly acquired grants, undocumented credit card purchases, nearly $71,000 in unpaid rent and a litany of other broken rules and transgressions by a Bishop fairgrounds CEO who until last week also led the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Jen McGuire, a Fillmore native, resigned on successive days in late June as CEO of both fairgrounds, citing health issues. She has denied any wrongdoing.

The 46-page report completed in June by the California Department of Food and Agriculture said auditors found more than two dozen improprieties and “reportable conditions” at the Bishop fairgrounds, also known as the state’s 18th District Agricultural Association. Though focused on the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fairgrounds, it also makes references to a second site that is not named but McGuire confirmed is the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Obtained through a public records request by The Star, audit findings focus on the Bishop fairgrounds and cover everything from not following rules to using inaccurate information in obtaining a nearly $60,000 loan for the Bishop fairgrounds from a federal COVID assistance program.

In a phone interview Wednesday, McGuire reiterated her resignation was driven by her health, declining to provide specifics. She said she couldn’t comment on details of the audit but disputed the allegations against her.

“It’s a one-sided narrative. As soon as I get some of my health issues in order I will be able to tell my side,” she said. “The bottom line is politics.”

The 46-page audit does not accuse McGuire by name but focuses almost all of its findings on a “Manager A” who was employed by two fairgrounds. McGuire confirmed she is the manager. She was hired by the 18th District Agricultural Association in 2018, gaining praise as the fairgrounds won awards like the Western Fair Association’s coveted Merrill Award in 2020.

She was hired by the Ventura County Fairgrounds — the 31st District Agricultural Association — a year ago and commuted back and forth between the two jobs. In Ventura, McGuire replaced Stacy Rianda, who suddenly retired after less than a year in office. An audit soon surfaced alleging financial irregularities at the Big Fresno Fair in years Rianda was manager there.

McGuire’s situation erupted last week. She resigned from the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop in a closed door session on June 24. The next day, her resignation from the Ventura beachside fairgrounds was announced after a closed-door meeting attended by board directors and lawyers from the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Dan Long, president of the Ventura County Fairgrounds, declined to discuss details of the audit but said it had been a rough week for the fair and described the situation as "disheartening." He said it wouldn’t be surprising if the state conducted an audit of the Ventura fairgrounds because that’s often done when there is a change in leadership.

“There are no improprieties that we are aware of any kind,” he said of the Ventura County Fairgrounds, also known as the 31st District Agricultural Association. This year's fair runs from July 31 to Aug. 11.

Long and fairgrounds deputy manager Heidi Ortiz were named co-interim CEOs. More drastic action was taken at the Bishop fairgrounds. Mike Francesconi, fair and expositions branch chief for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, confirmed he was named interim CEO.

Francesconi and other state officials did not comment on whether other action had been taken against the Bishop board. McGuire said the board has been temporarily stripped of its decision-making power.

"All we’re at liberty to say is (McGuire) resigned for health reasons," said Bishop board member Jaque Hickman in a phone interview. She emphasized McGuire has the "complete trust and confidence" of the board.

Turning over the wrong laptop

The audit report alleges McGuire provided inaccurate information on an application form for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the COVID assistance effort for private businesses, Paycheck Protection Program, asserting she owned the fairgrounds. Government entities like the fairgrounds were excluded from the program but the entity was given nearly $60,000 in a loan later forgiven by the Small Business Administration, auditors said.

They contended McGuire improperly transferred $25,000 in grants to the fairgrounds from a nonprofit foundation that supports it. The audit also said the CEO didn’t enforce an agreement that spells out who gets what in alcohol concession sales at the fair. It contended the foundation owes nearly $100,000 in concession revenue to the fairgrounds.

Auditors said the nonprofit foundation called Friends of the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fairgrounds and the fairgrounds were operated as if they were all the same business. They said three fairgrounds employees served as foundation board members. They said checks made out to the fairgrounds were wrongly deposited with the foundation.

The audit accuses McGuire of favoritism in her treatment of a Bishop fairgrounds employee with whom it alleges she had a personal relationship. The audit said the employee worked as a contractor for the Ventura County Fairgrounds during hours she was being paid for work at the Bishop fairgrounds. It said McGuire approved the contract work.

Auditors said they requested the employee’s laptop in part of their effort to document her work efforts and were refused. They said they asked McGuire to acquire the computer.

“Manager A (McGuire) then picked up a laptop, walked us back to the room where we conducted the interview earlier, and handed us a laptop,” they said. “Unbeknownst to us at the time, Manager A gave us a different laptop than what Employee B had refused to give us during the interview.”

They said they didn’t realize they had been given the wrong laptop until they returned to Sacramento.

'A story of politics'

McGuire said the state had approved the employee’s working relationship in Ventura. She also said the state had approved a raise she received when she was hired by the Ventura County Fairgrounds and the agreement that her commuting mileage between the two sites would be reimbursed.

Auditors said McGuire was not eligible for the pay increase because she was classified as an exempt employee. They said commuting reimbursements also did not meet state protocols. They said McGuire should pay back about $16,000 in wages and reimbursement.

The audit said the manager and the employee lived together in a trailer on the Bishop fairgrounds without paying rent. Auditors said the two employees together owed the fairgrounds $84,000 in rent with McGuire responsible for more than $70,000.

The report alleges McGuire was responsible for more than $38,000 in credit card purchases without providing receipts, including instances where she allowed other employees to use the card. It alleges another about $5,500 in credit card purchases for food and alcohol without proper documentation.

The audit cites “improper” general expense purchases. It contends there was no evidence that large contracts were put out to bid or that the appropriate tax forms were sent to contractors.

McGuire denied any wrongdoing and said she will tell her entire story soon.

“My employment record is stellar. Both facilities are thriving,” she said. “It’s a story of politics.”

McGuire and Bishop fair board president Judy Waggoner wrote a response plan as part of the audit. They cited new policies in response to some findings and said the board would discuss the possibility of coaching or discipline in regards to others.

Auditors said the response didn’t address all of the concerns and reiterated recommendations that included the payment of $84,000 in owed rent. They also emphasized that the foundation should pay the district the $98,000 owed in alcohol concession revenue.

Oversight questioned

David Grau, an accountant and a board member of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, read the audit and said the findings, if true, show a lack of oversight at the Bishop fairgrounds.

“I would fault the board,” he said of the 18th District Agricultural Association.

Other people reiterated their support for McGuire.

“I feel her leadership skills have brought prosperity to the Tri-County Fairgrounds,” said Bishop Mayor Jose Garcia. “When she took over the fairgrounds here in Bishop, the fairgrounds bank account had $5,000 in it. This fairgrounds was about to be bankrupt and a week ago, when she resigned, the bank account had two or three more zeroes in it.”

Jim Naylor, owner of the Ventura Raceway at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, said he hadn’t read the audit and didn’t know the findings. But he praised McGuire’s contributions.

“She got more done at the fairgrounds in the short time she was there than past managers that had been there for years,” he said. “She was a doer.”

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com.

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State audit