Two candidates interview for Ravalli County Fair Commission; applicants pledge hands‑on support

Two applicants, Joel Gordon and Virginia Chaffin, interviewed before the Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners on April 16 for openings on the county Fair Commission.

Joel Gordon said he has not previously attended a Fair Commission meeting but volunteered because he believes the fair is a valuable county event that "draws in a lot of people from surrounding areas" and that there is room for improvement. Gordon said he runs businesses in Stevensville, is generally on site during fair week with a sponsorship booth and is willing to serve on subcommittees and help with the rodeo and budgeting. He described prior board service in the Southeast U.S. for a nonprofit serving disabled children and work for a civil engineering firm handling multimillion‑dollar contracts. "I think it really is our best event in this county every year," he said.

Virginia Chaffin said she has attended Fair Commission meetings and recently retired as a superintendent; she told commissioners she understands the time commitment and said, "I've dedicated the whole week of fair, like, 7:00 in the morning till sometimes 10:30 at night." Chaffin said her priorities would be keeping fairgrounds infrastructure in good condition and ensuring the grounds are a user‑friendly venue for county groups and events.

Commissioners asked each applicant about availability for monthly meetings and the working‑board expectations of hands‑on participation; both applicants confirmed they understood the board is a working board and indicated they could meet the physical and time demands during fair week and for periodic committee tasks throughout the year.

The interviews concluded with thanks from commissioners; no vote or appointment was recorded in the meeting transcript during this session.