Washington State Fair Board elects 2016 president

David Campbell was elected the 2016 president of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup by the board of directors following the annual shareholders meeting Friday.

Other elected officers include W. David Schodde, vice president; Candace Blancher, secretary; Daniel McClung, treasurer; and Kent Hojem, CEO.

As president, Campbell’s responsibilities include overseeing events at the Washington State Fair Events Center throughout the year, including the Washington State Spring Fair, April 14-17, and the Washington State Fair, Sept. 2-25 (closed Tuesdays).

Campbell, 75, was born and raised in Puyallup, and graduated from Puyallup High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in business from University of Puget Sound, and was a member of Sigma Nu. Campbell has been an auto dealer for 50 years, and is general manager of Harnish Buick – GMC Trucks, Puyallup.

Campbell and his wife, Lani, a retired principal in the Tacoma School District, have four children and 11 grandchildren.

Over the years Campbell has been involved with the Puyallup Auto Dealers Association, the Kiwanis Club of Puyallup, United Way, Puyallup on the Move and the Heart Fund.

The Washington State Fair has been a large part of Campbell’s family, as his father, Robert, had served on the board of directors, and was the board president in 1962, 1970 and 1981. David last served as board president in 2007.

More than 1.6 million people visit the Washington State Fair Events Center each year. The Washington State Fair is one of the biggest fairs in the world, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest. It started in 1900 in Puyallup, and welcomes over one million guests to the single largest attended event in the state. For more info about the Spring Fair or Washington State Fair, visit www.thefair.com.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Washington State Fair Board elects 2016 president."