Carlson Named Fair Board President
By Diane Booth Conway,
Merced County Fair Publicity Director

   For years, former Sheriff Gary Carlson helped make the Merced County Fair a safe place to be when he was wearing a badge and patrolling the fairgrounds for the Merced County Sheriff's Department.
   Now Carlson, who has served on the Merced County Fair's Board of Directors since 2003, is the board's president. He was recently elected to the post, assuming the duties of outgoing president Marc Garcia. Carlson was appointed to serve a four-year term in 2003 by former Gov. Gray Davis.
   Growing up in Chicago, Carlson didn't have much exposure to agriculture or fairs. Starting in 1972, he helped provide security at the fair as a member of the Merced County Sheriff's Department. For more than 30 years he helped make the Merced County Fair and the Spring Fair in Los Banos, safe places to be during fair time.
   When he was named to the board, Carlson had a lot of experience with fair security but he soon learned there was a lot more to putting on a fair. "It was a real eye opener," Carlson said, when he first joined the board. "There are so many facets to the fair including, showing, judging, policies, entertainment, hospitality, building maintenance and promotions to balancing the budget," he said.
   He enjoys his work on the nine-member fair board and particularly appreciates the diverse group of people who serve with him. "I am totally impressed with their dedication. They’re a highly professional group of people who are committed to putting on the best fair possible for our community."
   He also gives a lot of credit for the fair's success to the fair staff. "There are a lot of people who give a lot of effort to make sure our fair is a class production."
   The 2006 Fair was "high quality," Carlson said. "We are very proud of what we present to the community -- it's particularly critical to promote the agricultural side of the fair in our county."
   Carlson was raised in Chicago and came to the Merced area in 1966, while serving in the Air Force at Castle AFB. He was stationed there for three years and served one year in Vietnam. He began working for the Merced County Sheriff's Department in 1971 and retired as sheriff in 2003. He graduated from Merced College and received a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from Chapman College.
   Carlson enjoys his work on the fair board. "I can give something back to the community," he said of the volunteer position. "I have been well-served by Merced. We do have a wonderful community." He also is active as a volunteer at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Merced.
   Carlson and his wife, Linn, live in Merced. They have three children, Matthew, a senior at Merced High School, who served on the fair's Junior Fair Board; Christian, a senior attending Oregon's Portland State University on a football scholarship and daughter, Juliette, an elementary school teacher who lives with her husband and two young sons in Lake Shastina.
   For more information, call 722-1507 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2007 Merced County Fair’s award-winning web site, www.MercedCountyFair.com

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