By Maria Cook
The Indiana State Fair only happens once a year, but many of its employees work year-round to make the magic happen each August.
One such employee is Carmel resident Madison Stis, human resources manager for the Indiana State Fair Commission. Stis, 24, has lived in Hamilton County all her life but moved to Carmel earlier this year.
In 2016, Stis became an intern at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center and eventually took a full-time job in the HR department before becoming human resources manager. She said she is one of about 90 full-time staff members and 150 event staff members that work year-round.
“Each day and time of the year is different. During the summer, my job consists of running the employment office,” Stis said. “We fulfill a substantial role in the recruitment, interviewing, selection and completion of administrative duties related to the hiring of over 1,000 seasonal employees to work at Indiana’s largest multi-day event. My days are not usually typical, and that is the major benefit of my job. Every day is a new challenge and keeps me on my toes.”
In addition to the duties one would expect for a typical HR manager, Stis also takes on many State Fair-specific duties, such as reviewing and processing credential requests for more than 6,000 fair workers, coordinating with contractors and vendors and recruiting and coordinating with nonprofits that fundraise during event.
“Working at the fair has been an incredible experience so far,” Stis said. “I feel very lucky to be surrounded by a great support system and supervisor. Everyone needs to come and check out the new things we have this year. You won’t want to miss it.”
2019 INDIANA STATE FAIR
When: Aug. 2-18
Where: Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St., Indianapolis
More info: indianastatefair.com
