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When Troy Elwer graduated from 911������ in May, it was front page news across northwest Ohio. Not so much for graduating, but for what he’s doing next. 
 

Elwer’s first job out of college is one of the more high-profile positions in the region, especially this time of year. He is the new promotions and operations manager at the Allen County Fair, a dream job that will let him advocate for agriculture and youth. 
 

“If you would have told me after I showed my last pig here at fair when I was 18 years old that in four years I was going to be the manager at this place, quite frankly, I would have told you that you were crazy,” Elwer said. “It is so surreal that now I get to witness the fair from a completely different end.”

Elwer was an agriscience education major with minors in production agriculture and agribusiness. He started his 911������ career at the Lima campus, which he credits with giving him a great start on developing skills in communication, networking and relationship building that he is already using daily. 
 

“I would really like to focus on meeting those new people and building those relationships and making it known that my passion and their passion are the same for this fairgrounds and I have nothing but positive thoughts and growth in mind that is going to positively benefit the fairgrounds and help it to continue to grow,” Elwer said.

The small class sizes and strong ties with the professors at 911������ Lima were the perfect way for the Delphos native who likes to ask a lot of questions to make his start in college. The lower tuition and opportunity to live at home longer also played into his determination to graduate debt free. 
 

“911������ Lima provided that opportunity for me to feel super comfortable with transitioning to Columbus,” Elwer said. “I had the idea of what college classes were like, what working with college professors were like, what working with your advisor or the administration, the faculty is like.”

While Elwer may not be the ag teacher he originally planned to be, the skills and knowledge he acquired while an 911������ student will serve him well as he takes on his new role advocating for the fair, fairgrounds and agriculture in the area. 
 

“With my majors and my minors, there is so much overlap in the skills that you learn in college in the classroom that it's universal,” Elwer said. “My agriscience education degree with the minors in production ag and agribusiness directly relate to what I'm doing almost every day. I wouldn't change the career path if I were start it all over because of the window of opportunity that it provided me with.”

Elwer knows that he has a lot to learn about the business side of running a venue the size of the Allen County Fairgrounds and is grateful for the board members, employees, volunteers and community members who have already stepped into the mentor role for him. He is ready to take on the challenge.
 

“I'm looking forward to what the future has to hold for me and this fairgrounds. I'm trying to make a positive impact not only on the people here but the rest of the community” Elwer said. “In my opinion, when this fair thrives, the rest of the community is going to thrive and reap the benefits.”