Two new directors will join the Stanislaus County Fair’s 38th District Agricultural Association Board of Directors after being appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this week. Ron Macedo and John Arellano, both of Turlock, will join the seven directors currently on the board.
“I have always enjoyed the fair as a child,” said Macedo. “Now that I am older and more involved in the community, being a part of helping and maintaining the fair as a great community event has become a great opportunity.”
Arellano is looking forward to meeting new people and being more involved in the community, he said.
“The fair is a well-run family type of event and I want to help keep it that way,” Arellano said.
Arellano has been president of Arellano Management Services since 2001 and has been a partner of Valley Mobile Oil for the past two years. He is also a member of the California Agriculture Production Consultants Association, Society of Enology and Viticulture and serves as vice president of the Viticulture Alumni Association of California State University, Fresno.
Macedo has been owner and president of R.A.M. Farms since 2005. From 1978 to 2004, he owned and operated Ron Macedo Farms. He is also a member of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and the California Farm Bureau Federation.
Both Macedo and Arellano said they applied to be a part of the Stanislaus County Fair Board of Directors to be more active in their community and to maintain the family fun environment of the fair.
The five board directors that were re-appointed by Schwarzenegger were Dale Butler Jr., Jane Conover, Bill Mattos, Ray Souza and Mark Timmerman. The two directors that remain on the board are Linda Weidman and Jack Wilkey.
Mattos and Souza have both been serving the board of directors since 1995, bringing their individual experiences to the board in an effort to make the fair better every single year.
Souza has owned and operated Mel-Delin Dairy since 1973. He has served as chairman of the Western United Dairyman Board of Directors, was a member of the Stanislaus County Planning Commission, the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, California Farm Bureau and Holstein-Friesian Association of America.
Mattos, of Newman, has served as president of the California Poultry Federation since 1991, Stanislaus County Supervisor for a year, president of Mattos Newspapers from 1976 to 2005, chairman of the Doctors Medical Center Board of Directors, a member of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and the California Farm Animal Welfare Coalition.
Newest re-appointed member Timmerman, of Oakdale, has served as president of Timmerman Starlite Trucking since 1973 and participates in many other organizations such as the California Feed and Grain Association, California Farm Bureau, California Trucking Association and the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce.
Butler, of Modesto, currently serves as president of the board of directors and has been on the board since 2000. He is a retired purchasing agent for Stanislaus County and has done administrative and personnel management work in the county’s chief executive office.
Modesto resident Conover has been on the board since 2002 and works as a public relations representative for Mape’s Ranch. She is also a member of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau.
With two new board members and a fairly new CEO — Christopher Borovansky took over as fair CEO after Anthony Leo announced his retirement on Oct. 19, 2009 — the board of directors plan to make this year’s fair the best yet with their “Flavors of the Valley” theme. The Stanislaus County Fair opens July 16 and runs for 10 days until July 25.
To contact Maegan Martens, e-mail mmartens@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.
