Marla Calico • Director of Grants & Special Education, International Association of Fairs & Expositions

Marla Calico has been the Director of Grants and Special Education for the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) since 2006. She began her career in the fair industry at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Missouri in 1977 as a clerk in the Livestock Department, eventually becoming the Livestock Director, then Assistant Manager, and Operations Manager. She was promoted to General Manager and served in that capacity from 1995 to 2004. While at the Ozark Empire Fair, Marla was very active in the IAFE, serving on a variety of national committees for the Association. She received her designation as a Certified Fair Executive in 1988 and in 2003 she served as the Chair of the Board for IAFE. She is a past President of the Missouri Association of Fairs and Festivals and a recipient of that Association’s Hall of Fame award. She is also a past president of the Mid-West Fairs Association.