New Cow Palace CEO, Lori Marshall
The Board of Directors of the Cow Palace welcomed Lori Marshall into the role of Chief Executive Officer on April 1, 2016. Her role at the historic Bay Area venue began as the Deputy Manager in July 2015, but was quickly promoted to the role of CEO when Ken Alstott, (Cow Palace CEO from April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2016), announced his retirement.
Marshall is the first woman in the 75-year history of the Cow Palace to lead the organization, and is responsible for managing the physical and fiscal over site of the facility in addition to putting on the annual signature event, the Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show and Rodeo.
The venue has a historic presence in the Bay Area, with concerts that featured legendary headliners like The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Prince; and serves as a space for various expositions, consumer and trade shows, sporting events, as well as a variety of community, religious and charitable events.
“I’m excited to lead the Cow Palace as a premier destination for events in the Bay Area, and continue the tradition of producing the Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show, and Rodeo, for many years to come” said Marshall. The Cow Palace has a rich history after 75 years in the Bay Area community and I’m honored to be part of that. As a 4-H member in my youth, I used to show animals at the Junior Grand National Livestock Show, so to come back in this role is truly a full circle moment.”
Lori comes to the Cow Palace with a degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and decades of event and facility management experience. Lori grew up in Brentwood and worked for 25 years at the Contra Costa County Fair in various positions, with her last seven years as CEO.
She has served in a variety of roles within industry associations such as Western Fairs Association, International Assn. of Fairs & Expositions, and California Fairs Service Authority, in addition to participating on boards of numerous civic organizations such as the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, Knightsen School Site Council and the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association.
ABOUT THE COW PALACE – The Cow Palace promotes and showcases a variety of entertainment and events to serve the needs and reflect the cultural diversity of the community. Annually they conduct a unique event, ‘The Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show, & Rodeo’, and continues to encourage youth participation in the agricultural industry. The organization provides a well-managed, year round multi use facility for the use and enjoyment of the Bay Area and surrounding communities. The Cow Palace is located at 2600 Geneva Avenue, in Daly City. For more information visit www.cowpalace.com.
Wow. This is really awesome and doesn’t surprise me at all. I worked with Lori when she was the Exhibits’ Rep at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds. She was always the most knowledgeable person there and the most likely to get things done. Congrats, Lori!