GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County has named Cassidy Evans its new fair and events coordinator, which oversees the annual Garfield County Fair and Rodeo. The New Mexico native brings a wealth of experience, southwestern roots and an upbringing in 4-H to the role.

Evans was most recently director of catering and conference services at Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. Evans grew up in Truth or Consequences, NM, and then moved to Las Cruces, before settling in a small town in rural western New Mexico.

“We moved out to a ranch in a town called Datil, NM, which was very small,” she said. “It was a ranching community and I took a bus an hour to school. It was a traditional schoolhouse, which was really cool. I then went to college in Silver City, so New Mexico is my roots.”

As luck would have it, she attended the Garfield County Fair and Rodeo in 2018, having no idea she’d be planning the following year’s event. When she saw the job post for the fair and events coordinator position, the allure of Garfield County’s natural beauty and small town values was too great of an opportunity to pass up.

“What are the odds? When I saw the job posted, I thought, ‘this is perfect.’ I love small towns. I have a son, and Phoenix is a big city, so the goal was to raise my son in a similar location that I was brought up in,” she said. “Growing up in a small town taught me a lot.”

Deputy County Manager Fred Jarman led the search process for the new coordinator. He is onboarding Evans in her new county role to help her prepare for extensive community outreach. “We are excited for Cassidy to join our high performing team,” said Jarman. “In addition to her strong experience and background, she is engaged and enthusiastic about learning the position, and continuing to foster the fair’s growth for the county and our diverse community.”

Evans’ mother worked in the hospitality industry, and she found herself following in her footsteps.

“My first job was as a housekeeper, which is the hardest job in any hotel, but it was a really great experience,” she said. “Those employees work so hard. I then worked at a front desk in college, and there was a steady progression in hospitality. I was an assistant general manager when I was 21, and then it all kind of took off.”

Evans then left small town life for Los Angeles, and worked in operations, before an opportunity arose with event planning.

“We planned 130 weddings a year,” she said. “The director asked me to come down and shadow for a couple weeks, so I did, and I knew that it was my calling.”

Evans is excited to work with Garfield County’s enthusiastic 4-H community, which makes her feel right at home.

“I was raised with 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America), so all those things that were really integral in my development as a little girl are now available for my son,” she said. “I’m also really excited to explore the outdoors.”

Evans’ dedication to customer service and her wealth of experience made her the perfect fit to oversee county events, including the fair. She’s eager to engage with 4-H, county staff, and the rest of the community.

“Being able to go back to my roots a little bit and do what I love is awesome,” she said. “And I can get out and meet the community. As an outsider coming in, this is a wonderful opportunity working with sponsors and meeting all the people of Garfield County.”