The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted July 7 to elect Zach Spohn to the Fair Board, citing his financial experience as a major asset after former-Treasurer Staci McBrayer left to take on the mantle of Fair Manager. The vote had undergone several delays since Spohn’s initial interview in April due to scheduling conflicts and an extended application deadline.
In his April 28 interview, Spohn discussed how he developed a relationship with the Bonner County Fairgrounds early in life thanks to his background raising and showing animals.
“My mom also took market animals at the fair and my grandpa also took market animals to the fair and my great-grandpa was involved with one of the first 4-H clubs,” said Spohn. “And so [I have] a family history of involvement with 4-H programs and that’s a pretty important part of not just my life but my kids’ lives.”
Zach Spohn. Courtesy photo
In his professional life, Spohn gained a financial background working at an accounting office before moving on to his current position as chief financial officer of Wildwood Custom Millworks. According to Spohn, as CFO, he is responsible for the company’s financial reporting and budgeting and oversees the accounting department.
“Experience that I might bring to the table would be experience in operating a business from a financial seat,” said Spohn. “Being able to be business-like; to ensure that there’s checks and balances, and that there’s proper controls in place in order to safeguard the assets not only of the fair but also of the county; and to set up systems to ensure that things are done properly, clearly and on time.”
In his interview, Spohn said he didn’t have “any specific ideas” to encourage engagement and increase the fair’s profits. However, he would like to “expand our outlook on things and try to identify what would bring people into the fair, to captivate them, to incorporate them and to get more community involvement,” which, he later added, could include music or “technological events.”
“I do want to see the fair grow and I want to see it become something that includes everybody in the community — doesn’t just serve the agricultural side, although I believe that should always be a part of it …” said Spohn. “I don’t have a problem with the way the fair’s been because it’s been historically catered, I believe, towards the agricultural community, which I’m a part of, so I haven’t felt left out. There may be people out there that do, and those are the people that I’d want to kind of bring in and kind of make it a fair for everybody.”
Applications remain open for the seventh and final board position. Watch past interviews on the county’s YouTube page or attend the commissioners’ next interview on Tuesday, July 28, at a time yet to be determined. Watch online via Zoom by visiting bonnercountyid.gov/meetings or hear candidates in person at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint).
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