The Oregon Jamboree and Sweet Home Economic Development Group announced the resignation of Event Manager Peter LaPonte Monday morning.
LaPonte was hired in 1998 after a lack of available talent caused the cancellation of that year’s event.
“Managing the last two years,” a SHEDG statement said. “Peter has successfully revitalized the Jamboree. He led the effort to build an efficient, responsible and accountable volunteer team that has made the Jamboree increasingly successful for the community. Peter’s diligent stewardship has brought the event to favorable profits and positioned it for continued success.
“The SHEDG Board of Directors thanks Peter for the excellent work he has done for the Oregon Jamboree, and on behalf of the greater Sweet Home community, wishes him continued success.”
LaPonte has offered to assist with the transition to new management. The search for a new event manager will begin immediately.
“I will probably try to find another events position,” LaPonte, who lives in the Albany area, said. “One which is closer to home and has less stress on my personal life. The Jamboree is great. It’s a great event. It does require a saint’s passion to do it right, just a time commitment. The fact that I live 30 miles away does not make it easier on my life.”
LaPonte has enjoyed “working with the volunteers and supervisors, he said. “I love the challenge of it. I mean, to bring an annual event like this to a small town, it’s a challenging endeavor. It’s really pushed me to the limits of my skills in several ways. I don’t have any real marketing background. I really had to get that together.”
With the workload and timelines of the event, efficiency and streamlining the work were important, LaPonte said. Managing the event doesn’t allow for duplication of work.
“We’re on solid financial ground now,” LaPonte said. “When I walked into this office, we were in the wake of a cancellation, which for an annual event is a disaster itself.”
LaPonte said he is flexible on what he’s going to do. He’s still going to be around for the next six to 12 weeks depending on how the search for a new event manager goes. LaPonte wants to be involved in that process and help see that the Jamboree continues its success.
“I care about it,” LaPonte said. “It’s kind of like your baby. You care about it. I don’t want to see anything go wrong after I leave.”
Obviously, LaPonte said, he will be looking for employment in the meantime, and if he finds a job, he may have to leave Sweet Home earlier.
“I just would like to tell the community of Sweet Home what a great festival they have in their midst,” LaPonte said. It has two sides, presenting some difficulties as well as positives, but any other community would appreciate such an event. “The community’s built it. They’ve earned a great event. I just hope their commitment and stewardship will continue.”
The Oregon Jamboree is an annual three-day country music and camping festival held the first weekend of August in Sweet Home. The nonprofit event is used by SHEDG as a fund-raising tool for economic development projects in Sweet Home.