Results of the Alaska State Fair
Annual Meeting
The Alaska State Fair held its annual meeting on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at Raven Hall on the Fairgrounds with 108 Alaska State Fair members and their guests attending. Early arrivals were treated to a 30-minute viewing of the PBS program, Garden Smart which highlighted the spectacular Alaska State Fair gardens. Hobo Jim, veteran performer at the Alaska State Fair, then opened the annual meeting at 7:00 pm with the singing of the national anthem.
Newly elected
board members
John W. Erickson, Jr. |
 This year, seven candidates, including two incumbents, were vying for three open board of director seats. Candidates were given the opportunity to address the members for three minutes before a thirty minute recess for voting took place. During the voting recess, members were entertained by the songs of Hobo Jim, a 28-year veteran performer at the Alaska State Fair.
Results of the election seated one incumbent and two new faces to the Alaska State Fair Board of Directors: Bonnie Quill (incumbent), John W. Erickson, Jr., and Carol Kenley. Members also overwhelmingly approved two bylaw amendments.
Outgoing Alaska State Fair board member, Debby Retherford was thanked for her years of dedicated service by the board, and was presented with a framed 2007 Alaska State Fair poster and musical roller coaster.
Board president John Harkey recapped a busy 2007 and praised the staff, volunteers, vendors, and everyone who helped make the fair such a success. The board also interviewed 20 applicants in 2007 |
Board member, Mari Jo Parks (above) presents outgoing board member, Debby Retherford with a musical roller coaster on behalf of the board of directors. |
for the General Manager position, hiring Ray Ritari to lead the Fair into the future. President Harkey touched on the challenges facing the Alaska State Fair in 2008 including the need for infrastructure upgrades and necessary improvements to the farm exhibits building.
Members were encouraged to sign petitions for Governor Palin and Senator Green for state support of these necessary improvements. |
Carol Kenley |
 Following President Harkey’s comments, Alaska State Fair General Manager Ray Ritari delivered highlights from his annual letter to the membership including:
- 285,417 attendees of the 2007 fair
- 8,442 exhibit entries
- Hobo Jim receiving his 25-year pin
- 739 events attracting over 48,800 people to the
Fairgrounds outside of Fairtime
- Revenue up $223,445 from 2006 |
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Ritari also described projects in the works to generate more revenue, including energy projects and the hiring of a new sponsorship and grant development staff member to pursue grant options to assist with necessary infrastructure improvements.
Under New Business, Alaska State Fair members were asked to review a proposed vision and mission statement that the board drafted during a retreat in October 2007. Members are welcome to comment on these two statements which will be adopted at a future board meeting. Comments may be sent to any board member.
The next regular meeting of the board of directors is Thursday, March 13, 2008 beginning at 7:00 pm in the Main Office conference room. All members are encouraged and welcome to attend.
For more information, please visit www.alaskastatefair.org, or contact Dean Phipps, Fair marketing director, at dean@alaskastatefair.org or 907.746.7153.
Thanks to Ted Bell for providing photos from our Annual Meeting
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