Honors were awarded to 48 individuals and organizations for outstanding service to their local fairs at the 97th Ohio Fair Managers Association annual convention at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Of this group, 17 received the Director’s Award for Innovation and Excellence for their progressive ideas and actions to improve and strengthen their fairs. Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Dorothy Pelanda presented each winner with a certificate.
For Adams County, Corbett Phipps of West Union was given top honors by the Adams County Agricultural Society and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Phipps, a retired educator with the Adams County/Ohio Valley Schools has a long history of supporting area youth and the Jr./Sr. Fair programs. For the past decade, Phipps has managed the annual Adams County Jr. Fair Beef BBQ, an event that takes dozens of volunteers to successfully execute. Each year, Phipps makes sure everything is in order, right down to the last small detail. The Jr. Fair Beef BBQ has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the Jr. Fair program for improvements over the past sixty years. Phipps joins a long list of distinguished Adams County citizens who have been named the Outstanding Fair Supporter over the years.
Since the inception of the award in 1993, over 20 people have been given the ward. The award is bestowed upon one individual each year for their involvement, dedication and devotion to the Adams County Fair. They include: Judge Roy Gabbert, Tom White, Don and Ventia Bowles, Tony Staggs, Tom Downing, Phil Shreffler, Robert Cantrell, Bob Malcom, Steve Cacaro, Bob Gallowitz, Bill Hackworth, Jim Ditmer, Chase Prather, Robert Blake, Barry McFarland, Russel Markins, Ed McDowell, J.C. Hazelbaker, George Rhonemus and Bob Semple.
Phipps will be honored at the 2022 Adams County Fair. Corbett and Carol Phipps have two children, Ryan (Brandi) and Rachael (Jared) and 3 grand-children, Alexis, Madison, and Colton. They have long since retired and live on their farm near West Union.
