March 30--The chief executive of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., who made more than $1 million in total compensation in 2014 even as the organization reported steep financial losses, has resigned.
The fair association said Wednesday that James Henwood Jr., who held the job for two decades, will be replaced on an interim basis by J. Michael Ortiz, chairman of the organization's board of directors.
Henwood's departure comes in the wake of a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that he and other association executives received lucrative pay and benefit packages despite several years of red ink. The association stages the annual fair and operates a number of year-round enterprises at the taxpayer-owned fairgrounds in Pomona.
In 2014, the most recent year for which figures are available, the association reported a loss of $3.44 million, its federal tax returns show.
Late last year, in response to the Times report, the county Board of Supervisors ordered an audit of the association's finances. The results of the audit have yet to be released. The association leases the fairgrounds, known as the Fairplex, from the county.
A state audit is also pending.
In a statement Wednesday, Henwood said he was "very proud" of his tenure but "lately I have become a distraction from the great work that LACFA does. I love this organization too much to let that happen. Accelerating a change in leadership will allow LACFA to refocus on its important role in the community."
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