A huge honor for Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo’s Fair Manager, Cindy Schmidt, occurred as she received the 2023 Texas Association of Fair and Events (TAFE) “Professional of the Year” award. The well-deserved recognition took place at the TAFE convention held in Galveston. The elite honor recognizes all fairs, festivals, rodeos and events held around the state, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the State Fair of Texas and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Schmidt earned this enormous honor for her relentless commitment, leadership and absolute dedication to her work for the Fair.
As Fair Manager of the Fort Bend County Fair, Schmidt oversees one of the largest fairs in the State of Texas. She has consistently assembled her team, people and board and pulled them through several unchartered circumstances, such as the Hurricane Harvey aftermath, the COVID pandemic and numerous other incidents. Always striving to achieve the next level, in 2022, Schmidt spearheaded the Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo, a national tv deal, became a qualifier for one of the largest rodeos in the world and welcomed the WPRA ladies’ Breakaway event. Schmidt oversees year-round events, including tag-ins, a fishing tournament, a crawfish boil and much more. In addition, she secures entertainment acts, coordinates fair committees agendas, procures sponsorships and adheres to a year round budget.
Schmidt has been a fair manager for the past five years. Two of those years were the most challenging years for the industry due to COVID. She and the fair board and community partners allowed kids to show their animals, host auctions and continue long-standing traditions. In addition, she created an alliance among surrounding county fair associations that enabled them to work together, borrow signage and hand-washing stations and continue their missions for their own counties.
As a volunteer, Schmidt began with the Livestock Committee in 1990. She was also part of the Fair Club Committee, Hospitality Committee and Decorations Committee. One of her proudest achievements was when she and a few other committed volunteers created the Freezer Sale to help the kids who did not make the Jr Livestock Auction. Before becoming manager, she served as a fair secretary since 2008.
Schmidt and her husband, Darren, make their home in Rosenberg, Texas. Both have been longtime fair supporters, auction buyers and life members.