Van Dam added to AV Fair Board, 3 others reappointed

LANCASTER – Longtime local resident and businessman Gary Van Dam has been added to the Antelope Valley Fair Association’s Board of Directors, officials announced.

Van Dam replaces outgoing Director Raj Mahli for the remainder of a four-year term that expires Dec. 31, 2016. Mahli was recently appointed as a council member for the city of Lancaster.

Van Dam has lived in Lancaster since 1960, and he is a graduate of Antelope Valley High School.  He is a third generation dairy farmer with the family owned and operated High Desert Dairy, and he is also a long-time board member of Ducks Unlimited – Antelope Valley Chapter.

In his youth, Van Dam participated in FFA Livestock competitions and numerous Rural Olympics events. He has been an active member of the Rural Olympics committee for more than 30 years.

“I am very honored to have been selected to the position of  A.V. Fair Association Director,” Van Dam stated in a news release. “As a long time resident of the Valley and active participant on the Fair’s Rural Olympics Committee for many years, I am looking forward to being a valuable member of the Association’s Board of Directors and will continue to promote agriculture, education and the many traditions that the Fair provides to the community.”

The Antelope Valley Fair Association also announced the reappointments of Directors Howard Harris, Drew Mercy and Mark Troth for four-year terms that expire Dec. 31, 2019.

The 11-member A.V. Fair Association Board of Directors is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fair and for the planning and production of the annual Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival.

Criteria for Fair Board members include a commitment to dedicated service, excellence, and ethical standards that ensure the continuance of the A.V. Fairgrounds and its’ facilities.

Annually, as Board terms end, appointments are made to serve four-year terms, and Directors whose terms are up can reapply.

The Association members are appointed by the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Authority, a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) responsible for the oversight of the fairgrounds. The Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Authority was established in 2011 and allows the AV Fair to operate free of the constraints created by state bureaucracy. The goal in forming a JPA with closer ties to local government is to enable the AV Fair to operate more efficiently and with greater flexibility.

Other members of the A.V. Fair Association Board of Directors are President Tim Fuller, President, Vice President Howard Harris, Deana Ward, Ron Emard, Sandy Smith, Newton Chelette, Mark Troth, Drew Mercy, Angie Hughes and Gus Camacho.

[Information via news release from the Antelope Valley Fair Association.]

–