Frederick Schenk Completes Tenure as Fair Board President

Frederick Schenk – a longtime partner with San Diego-based law firm CaseyGerry – just finished a two-year term as president of the board of directors for 22nd District Agricultural Association (San Diego County Fair Board). The volunteer position has entailed overseeing operations at the California state owned and operated fairgrounds, which has a positive yearly economic impact on the region of over $475 million creating thousands of jobs and business opportunities and hosting events year round – such as the San Diego County Fair, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the new high profile music festival Kaaboo and numerous other community attractions.

Schenk, appointed to the Board by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011, has a long-time association with the San Diego County Fair Board and was appointed previously by former Governor Gray Davis, serving from 2002 to 2006. While he has finished his fair board presidency, he will continue to serve on the board of directors until January 2018.

During his tenure as president, the board achieved much success, including hosting significant events and implementing long-term changes, among them:

• Last summer, the fair partnered with the City of San Diego to honor the Panama-California Exposition, which took place in Balboa Park beginning in 1915. It was a hugely popular tribute to this world exposition, drawing over 1.5 million people to the fairgrounds.
• In 2015, major alterations were made to both the turf and dirt tracks to make the racing facility safer for horses and jockeys, as well as accommodate an increasing number of horses. These vital changes qualified the track for selection as the site for the 2017 Breeders Cup – which will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase San Diego in the global horse racing community while drawing spectators from around the world.
• The fair board was able to attract Kaaboo to the fairgrounds in 2015. This was a new venture for the community, with the potential to become a premier fall music and entertainment event for the county for many years to come.
• Schenk is especially proud of what has been done under his leadership to expand the fair’s educational opportunities and outreach for both children and elderly who attend the fair. “We provide unique agricultural and livestock experiences as well as healthy eating education,” he said.

Specific programs include:

• Plant Grow Eat – educational events that provide bus transportation and admission for children who cannot afford the fair. These events teach youngsters basic principles of agriculture
• School Tours – programs in which fair employees visit schools and teach children about agriculture and healthy eating
• Planting with Pride – an outreach program in which the fair provides pots and seeds to elderly residents in assisted living programs. The residents grow their projects until fair time when they are awarded ribbons and enjoy Senior Days

Schenk, who has been with CaseyGerry for 30 years, concentrates his practice on products liability, serious personal injury and asbestos litigation.

About CaseyGerry

CaseyGerry was established in 1947, and is the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego. The firm’s 15 attorneys practice in numerous areas, including serious personal injury, product liability, pharmaceutical, mass tort and class action litigation. Headquartered at 110 Laurel St. in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego, the firm also has an office in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif. For more information call 619-283-1811.