Quinci Jones Becomes Livestock Coordinator at Eastern States Exposition
Quinci Jones of Willington, Conn., is the new livestock coordinator in the Agriculture department at Eastern States Exposition (ESE). Within her role, she supervises animal care, code compliance, operational logistics and general event coordination for relevant competitions.
Jones originally hails from Olds, Alberta, Canada, but relocated to Connecticut after marrying her husband, Benjamin Hipsky, who serves as a regular show announcer for agricultural shows at ESE and assists auctioneer Duke Dygert during “block talk” at the annual 4-H Beef Sale during The Big E.
Jones’ agricultural education and experience are abundant; she double majored in political science and agriculture at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Canada. She also completed animal science courses through the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.
In her youth, she grew up exhibiting beef cattle, sheep and quarter horses. The latter included sorting cattle, western pleasure, cutting a herd, rodeo and barrel racing. Her earliest experiences showing include time with the Olds Multi 4-H Club in Olds, Alta.; time as a delegate to the National 4-H Conference in Arlington, Va.; and a spell as a beef ambassador for her club in Olds, through which she honed her skills in public speaking and showing.
Jones judges livestock at numerous fairs and 4-H shows in her free time, including the Brooklyn Fair in Brooklyn, Conn.; the Lebanon Area Fair in Lebanon, Penn.; and the Tolland County 4-H Fair in Vernon, Conn.
Her former employment and education have granted her capabilities in agricultural research, overseeing operations procedures, connecting with exhibitors and an understanding of the interconnected nature of the community in which she works. An example of this would be time spent at a feed lot assessing yield numbers and feed conversion rates for efficiency. These talents all primed her for her current position with ESE, and she thrived during The Big E’s 2026 season mere weeks into her role as livestock coordinator.
“My husband has always helped with the 4-H Beef Auction at The Big E as well as the Youth Jackpot Show at ESE,” explained Jones. “So, I became increasingly present at the fairgrounds. Elena Hovagimian, the director of Agriculture, and I were discussing opportunities and my job history a few months back when she suggested I apply. It felt like a great fit and use of the skills I’ve built throughout my job history. In my first year, the Fair meant a lot of problem solving, but I was well prepared.”
Jones comes to The Big E at a time when agricultural shows and programming are on the rise, and the ESE staff is grateful that she has arrived just in time. We wish her the best of luck as livestock coordinator!