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Poultry industry leader
reappointed to Stanislaus
County Fair Board
Turlock--When
Bill Mattos pledged to continue his ongoing commitment
to educate our community about the importance of
agriculture, it caught the attention of Governor Gray
Davis.
Earlier
this week Governor Davis announced the reappointment
of William H. Mattos as a member of the board of
directors, 38th District Agricultural
Association (Stanislaus County Fair Board) for a third
consecutive two-year term
Speaking
of his first board term, that began more than four
years ago, Mattos recalled that “it was the hardest
years of any board I’ve ever served on.”
At that time the fair was facing serious
financial challenges.
“Fortunately, the board brought Tony Leo in
as CEO and things started to turn around,” explained
Mattos. “That’s
rewarding!”
Today,
the Stanislaus County Fair is one of the few fairs in
the entire state to be distinguished as an “A”
fair for its strong financial stability as designated
by the Division of Fairs and Expositions of the
Department of Food and Agriculture.
“Bill
brings a vast amount of experience to the board.
Not only is he a prudent businessman, he is a
dedicated agricultural advocate,” said Tony Leo,
chief executive officer of the Stanislaus County Fair.
Now
that the fair is financially solid, Mattos will spend
this new board term focusing on his two other
goals—to enhance the fair’s commitment of
friendliness to families, a place where people of all
ages are welcome, and to enhance the agriculture
components of the fair.
“The
Stanislaus County fair demonstrates to people of the
urban communities how important agriculture is to
their daily lives,” shared Mattos. “As more and more people relocate from large cities we have
a big job to do--to tell the story about
agriculture.”
Mattos,
49, of Newman, is the President of the California
Poultry Federation, Inc., a position he has held since
1991. He
is also the President of Mattos Newspapers, Inc. in
Newman. In 1990 and 1991 he served as a Stanislaus County Supervisor.
Mattos holds a bachelor of science degree from
Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and a master of science
degree from the University of Wisconsin.
The
Stanislaus County Fair is now in its 91st
year. The 2002 fair opens
Friday, July 26 for a 10-day run.
The theme of this year’s fair is “Through
the Eyes of a Child.”
Last year, a record-number of family members
enjoyed the fair as attendance topped 215,000
visitors.
The mission of the Stanislaus County Fair is to
provide a family and community oriented experience
promoting agriculture, education, entertainment and
technology.
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