John Alkire is the Chief Executive Officer of The Big Fresno Fair. During the past 12 years he has transformed the Fair through the creation and expansion of programs, exhibits and attractions in support of agriculture and education, including the construction of the educational Table Mountain Rancheria Park; creation of the 4.0 & Above Program honoring Fresno County 8th – 12th grade students with a chance to win scholarships and a new car; and the highly successful “Feed the Need” Community Food Drive that has collected nearly 580 tons of food in the last seven years. In 2015, John was bestowed the Distinguished American Award in the “Spirit of Education” category by the Central California District Council of the Japanese American League. In 2010, John was inducted into the Western Fairs Association Hall of Fame and is one of very few John Alkire CEOs to have received three Merrill Awards, which is the fair industry’s highest honor possible.