Dan Kemppainen

Chief Executive Officer

While Dan may be new to the role of CEO, he’s been a familiar face at Prairieland for over 30 years. Before moving into top position in November 2022, Dan spent the last 26 leading the Accounting Department as Chief Financial Officer. Dan holds the designations of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. Dan oversaw both the Food & Beverage Department and Sports On Tap and has been instrumental in the conceptualization of many Prairieland projects over the years.

Korilee Burgess

Director, Administration

Korilee has been with Prairieland for over 25 years. She is currently the Director, Administration and worked previously in the Finance Department for many years. Korilee’s responsibilities include assisting with the Prairieland Board of Directors, managing the corporate events planning, Human Resource responsibilities for the Corporation, and Office Manager. Korilee is also the first point of contact for the members of Prairieland and manages the events that help to celebrate our volunteers, members, clients, and sponsors.

Jason Hynd

Director, Client Services

Jason has been a member of the Prairieland team since 2007 and is currently responsible for the Sales, Client Services, and A/V Production departments. Jason is proud to be one of the founding members of both the Synergy 8 Community Builders and the Off The Leash Luncheon alumni committee. He volunteers his time coaching minor hockey and enjoys watching his two sons participate in numerous sports.

Donald Player

Chief Financial Officer

Donald joined the management team at Prairieland in early 2023 as the corporation’s new Chief Financial Officer. He has vast experience across many industries and has direct experience in financial analysis and planning, corporate accounting, financial statement preparation, evaluation of capital expenditures, mergers and acquisitions, system implementation and integration, and managing corporate risk. Donald is looking forward to contributing to Prairieland’s initiatives and growth.

Funmi Oyatogun

Director, Signature Events

Funmi joined the management team at Prairieland in early-2023 to fill the new Director of Signature Events position. She brings a diversity of experience to the table having previously worked in the hospitality, business development, and events management sectors across a variety of industries and countries. Reporting to her are the managers of the Signature Events, Marketing, Agriculture, and Sponsorship departments as well as Sports On Tap.

Christopher Hill

Director, Facilities Management and Operations Services

Chris joined Prairieland in July 2024 as Director, Facilities Management and Operations Services. With over 10 years of experience in project management, trades (electrical), and safety management/compliance, Chris excels in problem-solving, team building, and resource planning. He has held key roles in various companies, including Manager of Maintenance and Capital Projects at CNH Industrial and Maintenance Team Lead at SNC-Lavalin.

Kyle Chudyk

Manager, Client Services

Kyle joined Prairieland in 2009 as an Event Coordinator and saw the rentals side of the Corporation grow exponentially through his time in that role. In 2019 he took over a Supervisory role in the Event Management Department and quickly moved into Manager – Client Services overseeing all aspects of the Event Management Department and it’s valued annual returning rental clients.

In Kyle’s time away from work, along with his wife, he is kept on his toes chasing after his two sons at the family cabin and spending as much time outside as possible with them whether on the ATV trails, out on the lake, or in the yard.

Leigh Ann Hurlburt

Manager, Agriculture

Farming and ranching have always been a part of Leigh Ann’s life. Prior to joining the Prairieland Ag department in 2008, she served as a volunteer on the Junior Ag Showcase and Saskatoon Fall Fair committees. For the past 14 years, she’s worked with many organizations, assisting them in producing successful events at the Prairieland Ag Center. Taking over as Ag Manager in the summer of 2022, she now spends her days working with a great team producing events in the industry that she is passionate about.

Shawn Irwin

Controller

Responsible for all accounting activities and monitoring internal controls, Shawn’s role as Controller allows him to interact with nearly all the departments at Prairieland to ensure everything is on track and remains profitable. His over many years of experience in the accounting department and managing the Prairieland Park IT Department makes him perfect for this role.

Outside of work, Shawn spends most of his time chasing after three kids actively involved in soccer and hockey.

Mike Kirkham

Manager, Sports On Tap

New to the Prairieland Management team, Mike brings with him over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. As a lifelong sports enthusiast, he uses his experience and passion to build on recent successes and take Sports On Tap to the next level. Active in the community, Mike volunteers for his community association and coaches basketball, football, and soccer.

Keat Maddison

Manager, AV Production

Keat joined the management team in the summer of 2024 after working with Prairieland for over a decade in the AV and Signature Events departments.  Drawing upon nearly 30 years of working in the live entertainment industry, Keat is excited to leverage that experience into the lexicon of Prairieland events. Past credits include working with the National Ballet of Canada, the National Ballet School, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and proudly owning and operating a small business of rehearsal spaces in Toronto with clients from the film and live entertainment sectors. Keat has also worked on local events including children’s and fringe festivals, theatrical productions, and concerts.

Susan Kuzma

Manager, Signature Events

Prairieland produces and co-manages a number of events annually with the event management experience of long-time staff member – Susan Kuzma. With the company for more than three decades, Susan has firsthand knowledge of the history of Prairieland, and as an active member of many fair and event associations, she keeps on top of trends in entertainment buying and event production. The experience of the Special Events team can assist you in producing your next live stage production at Prairieland Park.  This department also oversees Prairieland’s flagship event, the annual Saskatoon EX.

Sharon Odnokon

Manager, Food & Beverage

As Food and Beverage Manager, Sharon brings her decades of industry experience to the Prairieland management team. With the Corporation for almost 17 years, she started as Food and Beverage Supervisor at Emerald Casino.

Dedicated to the industry, Sharon has taken many continuing education classes and has taught the Serve-It-Right Course at STEC and the U of S. She also remains active as part of the Hotel and Restaurant Management Advisory Committee at Sask Polytechnic for 6 years.

Colleen Woodley

Manager, Facilities & Operations

Colleen has worked at Prairieland for over two decades. She started as a groundskeeper and worked through the Operations department to the position of Manager.

In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, photography, and going to the movies.