PLATTE COUNTY – In his inaugural address in 1961, President John F. Kennedy uttered the now famous phrase, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I believe President Kennedy’s words apply not just at the national level but at our local level as well. Volunteer board member positions allow each person to answer that call to serve. In a series of columns, I intend to provide information about those board opportunities and hopefully challenge each reader to wonder for themselves: “What can I do for my community?”.
My series of columns will feature board positions that are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and those elected by members of the public. Those are not the only boards, or volunteer opportunities, that are available. Many organizations like 4-H, Little League, Services for Seniors, among others, need volunteers. Perhaps future columns will highlight those positions, but my next few additions to this newspaper will focus on those boards who are made up of members appointed by the County Commissioners or elected by members of the public.
First on my list to highlight is the Fair Board. The Board of County Commissioners appoint five members to this board. Those members serve five-year terms. Many have asked why their terms of service are so long – after all, five years is quite the commitment. The answer is simple, Wyoming law (W.S. §18-9-102(a)) says those board members serve five-year terms, which are staggered. The current board members are: Poston Anderson, chair, whose term expires in 2028; Gene Daly, vice-chair, whose term expires in 2027; Shawn Rupert, whose term expires in 2025; Jason Griffin, whose term expires in 2026; and Molly Keil whose term expires in 2029.

So, what is the purpose of the Fair Board? According to Wyoming law (W.S. §18-9-101(a)(iii)), the purpose of the Fair Board is to control, maintain and manage the fairgrounds to conduct “agricultural, industrial and other fairs and exhibitions”. Ultimately, the Board of County Commissioners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all county-owned facilities. By appointing members to the Fair Board, the county commissioners can delegate that duty of fairgrounds management to those individuals. For instance, the county commissioners designated the duties of renovating and extending the 4-H Building – now called the Agriplex – to the Fair Board. The Fair Board members who performed that task excellently were Bill Klein, Beth Douglas, Darrell Unrein, Shawn Rupert and Erik Eddington.
Throughout the year, the Fair Board works extensively alongside the fair manager, Jenny Davis, to plan the annual county fair. This year, the fair will be held between July 25 and August 2. Any resident who has attended the Platte County Fair in the past can see how many moving pieces are required to bring together a successful fair. Those moving pieces are corralled by fair manager Davis with the input and direction of the Fair Board to ensure Platte County’s youth can participate in a county fair each year. Kudos to all of those who volunteer their time, funds and attention towards that noble endeavor!
In addition to fair, the Fair Board works to bring numerous other events to the fairgrounds. One of those is the King of the West truck show. The Fair Board fielded the request by King of the West to host the truck show and worked through the logistics to ensure the fairgrounds would be protected as well as a welcome host. That truck show will be held on May 24 - 25 and the public is encouraged to attend.
Finally, the Fair Board is responsible for managing a budget of $212,400 (in fiscal year 2025). That budget runs between July 1st and June 30th. The budget is comprised of approximately $122,900 in taxpayer funds to be used for the management of the fairgrounds, approximately $29,500 in fees generated from services, and approximately $60,000 in sponsorships to help offset costs of administering the county fair. Platte County should be proud of the caliber of fair it is able to host each year thanks in large part to generous donations of time and dollars.
Being on the Fair Board is a big job and is completely a volunteer position. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to attend a Fair Board meeting. Their meetings are held on the second Monday of each month. If you would like to serve on the Fair Board, you can always reach out to the County Clerk’s Office to get a board member application or go online to www.plattecountywyoming.com/boards-members.