The Del Mar Fairgrounds board voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 18, to move the start of its chair and vice chair terms to Jan. 1 each year, a change that keeps one leadership team in place through the San Diego County Fair, summer race meet and live race meet.

The nine-member board, all appointed by the governor, elects a president and vice president annually for one-year terms. Under the previous schedule, those elections fell at a point that could split oversight of the fairgrounds' marquee events across two leadership teams.

22nd District Agricultural Association CEO Becky Bartling told the board the shift aligns officer transitions with the organization's budgeting and operating cycles.

"We've got three major events that happen in a year timeframe, and that's the fair, the summer race meet and a live race meet," Bartling said at the Aug. 18 meeting. "The current board president and vice president, it gives them an opportunity to oversee the conclusion of all those events."

Board member Frederick Schenk said the calendar-year alignment is a return to form.

"I think it makes sense because it's really how we did it up until a few years ago, essentially," Schenk said.

Neither Schenk nor other board members discussed why the practice was changed away from Jan. 1 starts. The board did not specify when that earlier shift occurred.

Chair Sam Nejabat and vice chair Lisa Barkett currently hold the leadership posts. The board elects or renews its officers each year, and the vote means future elections will be timed so that incoming leaders begin their terms at the start of the calendar year rather than mid-cycle.

Bartling was appointed CEO on April 24 after the board voted to fire former CEO Carlene Moore earlier that month. She has overseen several governance and operational adjustments since taking the role.

The officer-term vote was a separate action from the same Tuesday, Aug. 18, meeting at which the board approved $333,000 in additional labor costs for the summer race meet, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Residents can find upcoming board meeting dates and agendas on the Del Mar Fairgrounds website.