Bounds elected new president of Neshoba County Fair board
The longtime programs director for Mississippi’s Giant House Party announced on social media last week he is the new president of the Neshoba County Fair board.
State Rep. C. Scott Bounds was voted into the position at a regular board meeting on Oct. 21. Bounds said his predecessor, Gilbert Donald, also submitted his resignation at the same meeting after 51 years on the board.
To the congratulations of Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson and others, Bounds posted on Twitter: “Humbled and honored to have recently been elected President of the @neshoba_ms by the Board of Directors. I’m following great leaders before me and look forward to making Mississippi’s Giant HouseParty better than ever!”
Bounds will fill Donald’s unexpired term until the annual stockholder’s meeting in February.
“I am excited and humbled by the confidence the board has placed in me,” Bounds said, adding that he hopes to do a job that will instill further confidence in his leadership and lead to his reelection to the post in February.
Bounds has been going to the Fair all his life and most recently served 21 years as the programs director where he helped facilitate all the entertainment outside of the horse races, barns and exhibit hall. Most notably he was in charge of organizing the beauty pageant, entertainment acts and political speaking. He has served on the board for 26 years in all.
“It has been interesting getting to meet all the artists we bring in,” Bounds said. “Most said they have never seen anything like it. I would say 95% were easy to work with, though a small few who will remain nameless were difficult.”
Bounds said he has one goal as board president.
“The Fair has been around for about 130 years,” Bounds said. “We are not going to reinvent the wheel. We have a mission statement to maintain what was started by the founders and we want to keep the Neshoba County Fair the Neshoba County Fair. It is a Mississippi icon and people know what it is about.”
The 2022 Neshoba County Fair is scheduled to run from July 22 to July 29.