After reports of a leave of absence and rumors about his fate, Troy Waffner is out as New York State Fair director.

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets announced on Wednesday that Sean Hennessey, who previously served as an assistant commissioner for regional operations at the state Department of Transportation, has been named assistant fair director and will be interim director for this year’s fair.

Hennessey replaces Waffner, who was named acting fair director in 2014 and appointed fair director by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018. State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said Waffner will take a new role as agricultural fair development director. In this new position, Waffner will “evaluate ways to increase marketing and promotion of county fairs as well as opportunities to improve youth and agricultural programming initiatives at all fairs statewide.”

“The Great New York State Fair is a tradition and cultural institution across the state and it has been an honor and a privilege to be part of the dynamic team that runs it,” Waffner said. “With the support of Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball, we have made huge strides in growing the fair.

“I am most excited for the next chapter in working with our agricultural fairs to assist them in marketing, promotion and programming — these fairs are truly the heartbeat and highlight of agriculture in New York state.”

Hennessey said that he is “extremely grateful and humbled” to be selected as interim director.

“The team at the fair is first rate, and I know that my extensive operations and emergency management experience, coupled with my years of volunteer work, will be a great complement to their hard work,” he said, adding, “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves immediately and get to work with the team to put on the best possible show for fairgoers in 2022.”

The leadership change comes less than three months before the start of the fair, which runs from Aug. 24 through Sept. 5, and follows Syracuse.com and NewsChannel 9 reports that Waffner requested, and was granted, an extended leave of absence. The reason for Waffner’s absence has not been released.

Waffner brought stability to the position after turmoil at the fair in 2013. Dan O’Hara, who had served as fair director since 2007, was temporarily replaced by Thomas Ryan. O’Hara’s departure came as a state inspector general’s investigation found improper handling of state fair contracts.

Ryan oversaw the 2013 state fair, but stepped down shortly after. The state launched a search for a new director. Six months after Ryan’s exit, Waffner was named acting director.

Under Waffner’s leadership, the fair experienced some of its best years in the history of the event, which began in 1841. Over a four-year period from 2016 through 2019, the fair set new all-time attendance records. The 2019 record (1,329,275) stands as the most people to ever attend one New York State Fair.

He also oversaw significant improvements to the fairgrounds, including the construction of a new expo center and upgrades to the midway, RV park and fair buildings.

There were challenges along the way. In 2020, the fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the first time the state fair was not held since World War II. The fair returned in 2021, but with its longest run yet. Before the pandemic, Cuomo pushed to extend the fair’s run from 13 to 18 days.

The 18-day fair, the first held after the COVID cancellation one year before, was a dud. The fair’s reported attendance was 798,095, its lowest since 1985. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in September, shortly after the 2021 fair ended, that it would return to 13 days beginning this year.