Jerry D. Larson, 47, the vice president of Larson Glass Company, Inc., and a Puyallup native, has been elected as president by the shareholders of the Western Washington Fairgrounds Association to the association’s Board of Directors for 2012.

Larson, a volunteer Puyallup Fair rodeo wrangler for years, became a shareholder in 2000 and joined the board of directors in 2005.

All board members must be shareholders in the Western Washington Fairgrounds Association. Larson said he owns 10 shares.

“I was the first one of my family to be officially involved in The Fair,” he said. “My dad worked there as a kid in the barns.”

Larson said The Fair has been an integral part of his life.

“I have a young family, and The Fair is all about lasting memories and having fun,” he said.

Larson has been married to his wife, Tyra, since 2003. They have three children, Tray, Jared and Jena.

As the president of the association’s board of directors, Larson will be responsible for setting policy that will define the fairgrounds now and decades into the future.

“The fair board is more focused on what the future holds for the Puyallup Fair,” said Kent Hojem, CEO for the Puyallup Fair and Events Center. “The board is really good at setting policy and thinking beyond just what is over the immediate horizon.”

Hojem said Larson is a downtown Puyallup business owner who is focused on local aspects. As one of the youngest board members, Hojem said Larson also brings a different perspective.

“He thinks beyond the present,” Hojem said.

One long-term goal that Larson has set is to achieve a higher attendance count during The Fair.

“My goal, as president, is to get our attendance up to 1.2 million,” he said. “I’d love to have 1.4 million and set a record. If we get 1.4 million, I’ll be doing a cartwheel down Meridian.”

To achieve that goal, Larson said the board of directors will look at how to improve transit during the busy days of The Fair.

In addition, Larson would like to bring more nostalgia to The Fair. The Shoppe, a band that used to play The Fair years ago, will come back for a reunion tour.

Larson added the fireworks during the early years of The Fair used to be a nightly occurrence. He would like to coordinate efforts with the local fire department to bring back fireworks on at least one or two nights.

“There used to be also high-wire acts at the fairgrounds, and I’d like to bring those back,” he said.

Other initiatives Larson plans to set is to continue to enhance the free entertainment portion of The Fair and to maintain the relevance of The Fair’s commitment to the 4H and FFA state competitions at the fairgrounds.

“Agriculture is still our No. 1 draw,” Larson said.

Larson also would like to educate the public more on The Fair and its economic impact to Puyallup.

“Our economic impact to the city is over $200 million,” he said. “We don’t get money from the state. We are self-sustaining and pay taxes on our property. We’re privately held, and everything goes back into the grounds.”

While Larson serves as the board president for 2012, he also will maintain his role as chairman of the Puyallup Fair Foundation, which started four years ago.

“We raise money for our scholarship program and give about $60,000 a year to students in the area,” he said. “We also do a touring farm that educates students where their food comes from. Our goal of the foundation is to start an endowment for the touring farm.”

For the 2012 Puyallup Fair, Larson said the foundation hopes to start a program called Little Hands on the Farm. It would run during the course of The Fair and aim to educate students with hands-on-instruction on how to plant seeds and grow their own produce.

Vacated fair board seat filled

Gary Tucci of Puyallup recently was elected by the Western Washington Fair Association to fill a board seat vacated by Dennis Elvins.

Tucci, 55, serves on the board of directors for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma. He also competes in Ironman triathlons, goes boating, collects old cars and produces movies with his production company, Heart Break Productions.

“(Gary) will be an excellent addition to the board because of his devotion to local causes,” said Kent Hojem, CEO for the Puyallup Fair and Events Center. “He will bring professionalism and business acumen to the board.”

Reporter Andrew Fickes can be reached at 253-841-2481, ext. 313, or by email at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.