George Deshner Bio

Entertainment Consultant/Concert Prroducer

George is a retired educator from Meadville, Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree from Edinboro University in Edinboro, PA. He has two masters’ degrees, one from Edinboro and one from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. He is also a graduate of Penn State’s Rural Leadership Program with an emphasis in rural communities and communications skills.

After graduation from college, George taught Physical Science and Biology at Meadville High School. He later became the principal of Meadville High and served in that capacity for nineteen years. During the summers, George became involved with the Crawford County Fair in Meadville, PA. He has parked cars, been in charge of parking, and worked as a supervisor for gates and admissions. He began working stage shows for the fair in 1974. His first stage show involved pushing an electric organ onto center stage, placing two microphones behind it and an organ bench in front of it. Over the years he saw the fair entertainment grow from shows such as the above to overseeing major concerts at the fair including Toby Keith, Brooks and Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Alabama and Sugarland. The Crawford County Fair has grown to the fourth largest fair in Pennsylvania overall and is the largest agricultural fair in the state.

In 1985 he joined the Variety Attractions team as a part time show representative who serviced shows in the summer. He has worked fairs, festivals, and conventions in that capacity in seven states. George has recently joined Variety Attractions as a full time staff member and is relocating to the Zanesville, Ohio area.

George also served three years as the general manager for an amusement park in northwestern Pennsylvania. George has also been active in many theater productions from acting on stage to doing tech work behind the scenes.

George will be responsible for working with clients as an entertainment consultant and advising on matters concerned with concert production. With over twenty years of experience in different facets of the entertainment industry, his work in theater, and his experiences from education, he is excited about the positive experiences his new position will provide.