Walla Walla County hires Greg Tompkins to be interim fairgrounds manager

Greg Tompkins, a former county commissioner and local business owner, will lead the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds on a temporary basis through the 2026 Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days.

The Board of County Commissioners received five applications for the position and interviewed all the candidates in executive session the morning of Tuesday, May 26.

Commissioners Bertha Clayton and Gunner Fulmer unanimously appointed Tompkins to be interim fairgrounds manager that afternoon.

The commissioners created the interim position a week earlier to support operations through the fairground's peak season.

"To date, the search for a permanent fairgrounds manager has not been successful," Clayton said, "and our colleague, Commissioner (Todd) Kimball, who is not here today, has been serving as the acting fairgrounds manager for the last nine months."

The fairgrounds manager position has been vacant since former director Greg Lybeck - who was placed on paid administrative leave in August 2025, just before last year's fair - separated from the county in December.

"As the fairground enters its busiest season and also leading up to our annual Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days, this board feels strongly it is imperative to have a manager on site, full time, engaged in daily operations to support the employees and the volunteers and also the fair board," Clayton said.

She said Tompkins was the best, qualified candidate for the role.

Tompkins owns and operates Tompkins Appliance LLC and served for 16 years as a Walla Walla County commissioner. He held office for three terms from 2003 to 2014.

Then in 2019, Tompkins was appointed and then elected to fill a seat on the commission after the death of county Commissioner Jim Duncan in late 2018. Tompkins served through 2022.

Tompkins is also running as a candidate for the county auditor position, a role that would start in 2027.

Tompkins' employment started Wednesday, May 27, and will go through Sept. 30, according to an employment agreement obtained by the Union-Bulletin via public record request. The fair opens Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Tompkins will receive a monthly salary of $8,500.

A records request for application materials from the other four applicants was not fulfilled as of Tuesday, June 2.

"(The number of candidates) showed me how important our fairgrounds and the fair is to our community that folks stepped up to try to take on this role, so I appreciate everyone that put their name in and came to spend time with us today," Fulmer said.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 10:08 PM.