Gov. on Oct. 23 announced appointments and reappointments to seven District Agricultural Association fair boards, the boards that oversee fairgrounds from the Cow Palace to Lakeport. None of the posts require Senate confirmation, and none are paid, the governor’s office said.
Cow Palace (1a District): Stefanie Roumeliotes of Hillsborough, founder and CEO of SGR Consulting since 2004 and chief development officer at Democratic Data Exchange from 2019 to 2025. She was national senior advisor for technology and business for the Harris Walz campaign in 2024. She is a Democrat.
Del Mar Fair Board (22nd District): three reappointments — Sam Nejabat of La Jolla, founder and CEO of SJN Properties and a California State University trustee, who has served since 2019; Mark Arabo of Rancho Santa Fe, president and CEO of Refined Management and a State Racetrack Leasing Commission commissioner, who has served since 2023; and Donna DeBerry of San Diego, president and CEO of the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce since 2020, who has served since 2025. Nejabat and Arabo are Democrats; DeBerry is registered without party preference.
Madera County Fair Board (21st District): Tera Napier of Madera, executive director of Sherman Thomas Charter Schools since 2022. She is registered without party preference.
Kings County Fair Board (24A District): Venoma “Nomie” Bengel-Kautz, a former vice president and portfolio manager at Fresno Madera Farm Credit (2000 to 2022), who is registered without party preference; and Jonathan “John” Garcia of Lemoore, South Valley market manager at Simplot Grower Solutions since 2020, who is a Republican.
Amador County Fair Board (26th District): Kelsi Williams-Karschner of , a Calaveras Unified School District science instructor, Amador Resource Conservation District director and owner-operator of Williams Ranch, who is a Democrat; and Don Dowell of Volcano, a former metrologist at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale facility, Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney’s solid rocket division, who is a Democrat.
Merced County Fair (35th District): Stephanie Dietz of Merced, owner of Dietz Consulting and a former Merced city manager. She is a Democrat.
Lake County Fair Board (49th District): Michael “Mike” Neilson of Lakeport, a CalFire heavy equipment mechanic since 2016, who is a Republican; and Jennifer Hanson of Lakeport, an economics professor at Yuba Community College District since 1996, who is a Democrat.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Dr. Corey A. Jackson
State Assembly Member · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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