Fair seeks Board candidates, Association members

Spencer, Iowa — Like any non-profit organization, the Clay County Fair Association is currently seeking candidates for the Board of Directors, as well as interested individuals to become members of the Association.
“For more than 100 years, the Fair Association has been tasked with putting on ‘The World’s Greatest County Fair’ and owning the 200-acre fairgrounds,” said Fair & Events Center CEO Jeremy Parsons. “We are always looking for more individuals to help us fulfill our mission.”
Each year, the Association’s nominating committee seeks individuals to serve as candidates for election to the Board of Directors. The committee then reviews all interested candidates for possible inclusion on a ballot that will be submitted to the Fair Association membership as part of the Fair Association’s annual meeting in October. Eligible candidates must have been a member of the Fair Association for a minimum of one (1) year prior to their election.
Members of the 27-person Board of Directors are elected to three-year staggered terms with nine positions being filled each year. The Board of Directors is responsible for electing the Executive Committee and approving changes to the Association’s By-Laws.
Parsons continued that the Fair Association is also always looking for new members.
“I think it’s a myth in the community that we are a closed organization,” he said. “In reality, anyone (including non-Clay County residents) can be a member of the Fair Association.”
Any individual or business is eligible to become a member upon payment of the $100 lifetime membership fee. The Association is currently composed of 839 lifetime members – 787 individual members and 52 associate members. Individual members have the right to vote and hold office. Associate Members are non-individuals (businesses, organizations, political subdivisions, etc.) that can attend meetings, but cannot vote or hold office. Originally, members were called “stockholders” because they purchased “shares” in the Association that could be transferred to other individuals or businesses.   Changes in Iowa law, however, caused that system to be eliminated in 2011.
The membership gathers each October for an annual meeting which includes an election for the Board of Directors.
For more information on becoming a member of the Fair Association, please contact the Fair Administrative Offices at (712) 580-3000 or info@claycountyfair.com.
About The Clay County Fair & Events Center Rooted in Tradition, the Clay County Fair and Events Center is a year-round facility that annually hosts more than 300 events, including its signature event, the Clay County Fair powered by SMU. Known as “The World’s Greatest County Fair” since 1917, the Clay County Fair attracts more than 325,000 guests each September for nine-days of world-class entertainment, competition, food, fun, and the largest farm machinery show at any fair in the United States. Additional information can be found at claycountyfair.com.
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