San Diego Convention Center Corp. CEO Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, who took over leadership of the agency a decade ago, announced Thursday that he will be retiring this year.
Rippetoe, who is 65, is leaving the corporation at a pivotal time for the center, not unlike when he joined it. Now, as then, the convention center awaits a long-planned expansion that city leaders say is essential to attracting more and larger meetings and trade shows to San Diego.
The difference now, though, is that a 2020 ballot measure that promised to finance an expansion with a hotel tax increase is now in effect after years of legal challenges. The project, though, has grown considerably in cost, and as a result, the tax hike won’t be enough to pay for a similarly sized expansion.
“You look at the challenges back when I got here 10 years ago, and they’re continuing — the need for expansion and modernization of the center,” said Rippetoe. “The challenge is being able to supply the space that is needed and the economic impact and tax revenue that it brings. So there definitely is still a need in the future for an expanded space and I believe that will happen.”
While a larger center remains up in the air, the ballot measure’s hotel tax hike will now help pay for long deferred repairs like the replacement of the center’s roof and central plant that houses the facility’s entire cooling and heating system. The funds that are expected to be allocated over the next five years total nearly $119 million.
Rippetoe, who has 46 years of experience in the sports, entertainment and convention industry, arrived in San Diego in April 2016, leaving behind his job as chief executive of the Kentucky State Fair Board. One of his biggest challenges — and most rewarding, he says — came four years into his new job when the pandemic came, immediately shutting down tourism and conventions.
The city of San Diego and the Convention Center Corp. quickly pivoted, transforming the bayfront facility into a homeless shelter and after that, a temporary facility for unaccompanied migrant children.
The center also led the way in crafting guidelines for reopening convention facilities statewide once the pandemic eased.
“We were relied upon by a lot of other venues and worked with the state Health and Human Services department to write the reopening guidelines, which gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our leadership and help our peer group,” said Rippetoe, noting that the center is routinely ranked as one of the top five convention destinations in the country. “We worked hard on that night and day. By doing that, we could demonstrate we were ready for business so when our customers were ready to come back, we were ready.”
The center has steadily rebounded, post-pandemic, and in fiscal year 2025, it set a new record in tax revenue generated to the city of San Diego — $38 million — and in direct spending by convention attendees — $921 million, center spokesperson Maren Dougherty said.
The trade publication Exhibitor Magazine recently recognized the San Diego center with a 2026 Center of Excellence Award, placing it among the top three convention centers in North America for best customer service and on-site support.
Longtime Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer offered high praise for Rippetoe’s leadership and his keen understanding of the unique needs that the annual pop gathering has as the single largest San Diego convention. Comic-Con long ago outgrew the convention center and has found ways to remain in San Diego by expanding to other nearby venues like Petco Park and the waterfront convention hotels.
“Anybody who knows him knows he’s an incredibly friendly, personable guy who’s incredibly easy to talk with,” Glanzer said. “He really does understand who we are. Comic-Con can be described as quirky sometimes, but wow, he really gets us. He is often the first person to call us and let us know about something we need to be aware of, and he tries to come up with solutions that can be beneficial.
“I can’t remember anything remotely negative when it comes to Rip.”
Equally laudatory was San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who recognized Rippetoe for guiding the center through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.
“Rip Rippetoe has led the San Diego Convention Center through an extraordinary era, guiding it from the challenges of the pandemic to record-setting growth,” Gloria said in a written statement. “His steady leadership has helped make the Convention Center one of the nation’s premier event destinations and a powerful economic engine for our city. San Diego is better because of his decade of service.”
Rippetoe, who says he will remain as CEO until his successor is chosen, expects the recruitment process to take four to six months. The corporation’s board of directors will oversee the search, working in partnership with an executive search firm. Rippetoe said he also plans to be a part of the recruitment for a new leader. Once he departs, he said he’d still like to remain professionally active, perhaps doing some consulting and serving on a board or two.
“Our reputation that got us here and the terrific customers we have will be both an opportunity and challenge for whoever the next CEO is, as well as the expansion and how it’s incorporated into the venue,” Rippetoe said. “The expansion conversation has been going on for 15-plus years, so there is a lot of history that the new CEO will have to catch up on. So yes, getting up to speed quickly is one of the biggest challenges for anyone who walks in here.”