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Governor appoints and Chiesa and Conover
to Stanislaus County Fair board
Turlock—When
Vito Chiesa was a teen and entered his cucumbers into
competition at the Stanislaus County Fair he didn’t
expect to be setting policy for the fair decades
later. And
neither did Jane Conover, the former 4-H leader who
taught cake decorating to more than 30 girls.
But,
their prior involvement with the Stanislaus County
Fair is one of the things that caught the attention of
Governor Gray Davis, who recently appointed Chiesa and
Conover to the Stanislaus County Fair Board.
Chiesa
is a resident of Hughson and owner of Chiesa Brothers
and Vito Chiesa Farmers.
He is also the manager of Chiesa Ranch, Inc.
Chiesa farms more than 700 acres of almonds,
walnuts and peaches within Stanislaus and Merced
Counties. He
is the past president of the Stanislaus County Farm
Bureau, and serves as a member of the California Farm
Bureau Federation.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo.
When
Chiesa was a teen, he and his family entered tomatoes,
cucumbers and even peaches into the fair’s exhibits
program—both from their home-based garden and their
orchards. “Being
from a small community, the Stanislaus County Fair was
the single most important part of my summer,” shared
Chiesa. “My
best memories of summer were spent at the fair.”
Chiesa
welcomes his appointment to the Stanislaus County Fair
Board. “I love public service and I am elated at the opportunity
to serve on this board,” said Chiesa.
Conover
is a resident of Modesto. She is a partner in and the
community relations officer for Mapes Ranch/Lyons
Investments. She serves as an Honorary Chair of the
Center for Human Services and as a member of the
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau.
In addition, she is a member of the American
Cancer Society’s Cattle Baron’s Ball Host
Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Chico.
Like
Chiesa, Conover is no stranger to the Stanislaus
County Fair. As a young lady, she was a member of the
Wood Colony 4-H and entered her sewing projects into
the Stanislaus County Fair.
And, when Conover’s now adult children
were young they showed hogs and lambs at the
Stanislaus County Fair.
In addition, Conover served as a Wood Colony
4-H Leader, teaching cake decorating to her members. The program was so popular that eventually the meeting place
was moved to Hart Ransom School.
“All my girls did very well at the Stanislaus
County Fair,” shared Conover.
Conover
looks forward to her term on the board. “I attend
the fair and I love the fair,” Conover said.
“I’m a true country girl.”
Tony
Leo, chief executive officer of the Stanislaus County
Fair, welcomes Chiesa’s and Conover’s experience
to the board. “Both
Vito and Jane have strong agriculture and fair
backgrounds. Their
commitment to the fair’s mission will be an asset to
the board,” said Leo.
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 fair 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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Electronic photo available. E-mail requests to
PRConsultingPennie@charter.net
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