Danny Kemp to be Inducted into the Nevada County Fair Hall of Fame

Danny Kemp has been named as the 2010 inductee into the Nevada County Fairgrounds’ Hall of Fame. The Fair’s Board of Directors chose Kemp for his significant contributions to the Fair and to the youth of Nevada County.

Kemp recently retired as the Ag Mechanics instructor from Bear River High School, where he had been teaching since 1986. It was his inspiration, and his desire to support the Ag Mechanics students, that created the highly successful Ag Mechanics Auction at the 2004 Fair. Kemp worked tirelessly with the students and the Fair to create a quality exhibit that has grown to fill the Sugar Pine Lodge at the Fairgrounds. Now in its seventh year, the Ag Mechanics Auction has raised more than $240,000 to benefit the students of Nevada County.

“I am thrilled with how the Ag Mechanics Auction has grown since its inception,” said Kemp. “I am proud of the students who make it happen, and I am pleased that it opens another avenue for children to be successful.”

Kemp has always been a great supporter of the Fair. He was a member of the Nevada County Fair’s Board of Directors from 1985 through 1989, and, even today, he continues to be available to provide his assistance to the Fair team. Following each Fair, he makes it a point to meet with management and provide his positive critique and to offer his help in continuing to improve the Fair. He has always been a person that the Fair team relies upon for advice and direction.

“Danny is an individual who has made significant contributions to the Fair,” said Fairgrounds CEO Sandy Woods. “He is a person that we appreciate and admire, and his presence will indeed be missed in the future. It is a well-deserved honor for him to be named to the Fair’s Hall of Fame.”

Kemp, who has lived in Nevada County since 1975, has been a teacher in Nevada County for 34 years. He started his career at Nevada Union High School, and then began teaching at Bear River High School when it opened in 1986. In 2005, he received a Teacher of Excellence award from the California Ag Teachers Association.
Kemp will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame at opening day ceremonies on Wednesday, August 11. In addition to access to the Fair and its many activities, he will receive a portrait donated by Shaffers Originals.