08/03/2026
Today marked the fifth and final day of the Josephine County Fair—and with it, the conclusion of fair duty for the Josephine County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse.
This is a long post, but it deserves to be. This year, our members demonstrated an extraordinary level of dedication, teamwork, and selflessness. Time and again, they stepped up without hesitation, often going well beyond what was expected of them.
I’d like to begin by recognizing our Second Lieutenant, Aris Iannios. For the past three years, Aris has served as our Fairgrounds Liaison, overseeing every detail of fair duty. He coordinates with fairgrounds management, develops the duty schedule, and keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Despite working a full-time job, he personally delivered parking passes to each member, met the early shift with radios in hand, ensured Sheriff Daniel’s golf cart was at the check-in location each day, and returned both the radios and golf cart to the fair office every evening. On top of all of that, he also covered four fair duty shifts himself.
Keri Wu covered four shifts and, when a fellow member was injured, immediately put her nursing skills to work to provide aid and support. Wilma Gilbert was injured during her very first shift, yet still returned the following day to fulfill her commitment. Donna Vest generously stepped in to cover Wilma’s shift, despite not being scheduled to work, and having fulfilled her duty commitment the previous day.
Our Secretary, Leanna Jessee, covered three shifts while also assisting Aris with fair scheduling during the months leading up to the event.
Elizabeth Poole, Jodi MacDonald, and Dave Hall each covered multiple shifts and graciously adapted to several schedule changes along the way.
Sandi Humphfres covered multiple shifts and even added an extra one, despite having to work later that same day.
Ray Crumpton volunteered for two additional shifts after realizing one of our members would otherwise be without a duty partner.
Bruce Buckmaster also volunteered for an extra shift to ensure that no member had to work alone.
Captain Paula Gibson and Mitch Gibson covered three shifts and graciously accepted a last-minute schedule change to accommodate another member’s needs.
Katie Blair covered two shifts, including a late-night assignment on her birthday, doing so with the same smile and cheerful attitude she brings to everything she does.
Jani Zigray-Cochran also covered two shifts and kindly stepped in as Officer in Charge at the conclusion of Saturday night’s shift.
As for the author of this post—I don’t believe I did anything exceptional. I simply had the privilege of serving alongside an exceptional group of people.
Thank you to every member who gave your time, adapted to changing circumstances, volunteered for extra responsibilities, and looked out for one another. Your commitment, flexibility, and willingness to serve are what make this organization so special.
I couldn’t be more proud to stand beside each of you.
JCSMP First Lieutenant-Nancy Iannios
