Honorary Chair
Every year an individual (or a couple) is chosen as the Honorary Chairperson of the A World A’Fair. The honorees selected for this honor either:
1) are members of the festival family who have contributed to its success (i,e, Marillyn Knight, 2017);
2) have been associated with the festival and/or the youth group and have gone on to accomplish something notable (i.e. Niraj Antani, 2016);
3) are not directly associated with the festival but have supported it in some significant manner (i.e. Nan Whaley, 2015).
2025 HONORARY CHAIRPERSON
2024 Rosetta Schaffner
2023 Six officers assigned to the night shift in Downtown Dayton Oregon District on August 4, 2019. These officers were to be the Honorary Chairpersons for the 2020 Festival. Unfortunately, the 2020-2022 Festivals were cancelled due to Covid.
2019 Wayne Gulden (do I have to wear a tie?)
2018 Walter Rice (here comes the judge!)
2017 Marillyn Knight (again!)
2016 Niraj Antani
2015 Nan Whaley
2014 Cheryl Castro
2013 Crystal Anne Belen
2012 Phi Pham
2011 Carolyn Stovall
2010 Marie Bronius
2009 Mayor Rhine McLin
2008 Patrick Hughes
2007 Mona Cannell2006 Charles and Theresia Eyman2005 John Pappas2004 Anna R. Ctvrtnicek2003 Richard A. Zimmer, City Commissioner
2002 Don and Sunny Hickey
2001 Karen Sitzman
2000 Marillyn Knight
1999 Wendy Cole
1998 Carl Day, WDTN Channel 2
1997 Sam and Ann Ballinger
1996 Joseph P. Whalen
1995 Jeannine Newhouse
1994 Jerry Schenking
1993 John Cole
1992 Glen E. Compton
1991 Richard B. Metzger
1990 Charles and Terry Eyman
1989 Maryan Caplan
1988 William A. Ademu-John
1987 Elinor Ambrose Sluzas
1986 Thomas F. Folino
1985 Aldona Ryan
1983 Grace Wolff
1982 Ed Hamlyn, WDTN Channel 2
1981 Jack Wymer, WING radio
1980 Lou Emm, WHIO
1979 Fr. Gabriel J. Rus, S.M.