2 new members to join fair board tonight

The Great Northern Fair Board will seat two new members when it holds its monthly meeting tonight.

Hill County Commissioner Jeff LaVoi told the Havre Daily News Friday that Calvin Jilot of Box Elder and Chelby Gooch of Havre, were chosen by the commissioners to fill the two vacancies.

Both seats have been open since late last year, following the death of Fair Board Chair Alma Seidel in October and the resignation of fellow board member Lori Roberts in November.

The board, whose members are appointed by the commission, oversees the operation of the fairgrounds and organizes the county’s annual Great Northern Fair.

LaVoi couldn’t pinpoint a specific date, but said Jilot and Gooch were notified of their appointment in the past few weeks and chosen from a pool of about six or seven applicants.

When choosing board members, LaVoi said, commissioners look for people with a wide range of skillsets and backgrounds.

“It’s kind of like building a team. You pick people who fill different roles and represent different people,” LaVoi said.

Though management experience is helpful, LaVoi said an interest in the fairgrounds and a willingness to work to make it succeed is what matters most.

Jilot, 28, is a member of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee, the tribal council on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. He worked as the operations director of the Northern Winz Casino from 2013 to 2014, when he became its general manager. In November 2014 he was elected to the council and was sworn in last May.

Jilot said LaVoi, who in his capacity as a county commissioner attends the council meetings, told him about the vacancies on the board.

As a tribal council member on the board, Jilot said the position presents an opportunity to strengthen ties between Rocky Boy and the county more broadly.

He said he wants to increase the number of rides and activities at the annual fair that are aimed at teenagers and adults.

Gooch, a Havre native and a sales consultant for Sears, had applied for an opening created last year when fairboard member Chad Murnin resigned.

She has been involved with the Havre Jaycees since 2009 and is involved with the group's annual Bump-N-Run race. She is a frequent presence at fair board meetings.

Beyond the fair, Gooch said she wants the grounds to be used for other community events such as dances and vendor shows.

“We’ve got a lot of space up there, and there are a lot of things that can be done up there,” Gooch said.

She said that the fairgrounds needs some “sprucing up,” too.

“That’s the first thing you see when you come into town from the west is the fairgrounds,” Gooch said.

The next Great Northern Fair board meeting is scheduled for tonight at 5:30 in the Timmons Room in the Hill County Courthouse.