10 CapitalPress.com
January 27, 2017
Longtime Expo director prepares to step back Industry experts to
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press
Director Myrna O’Leary intends to retire
from the Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific
Northwest Farm Forum in 2017, and will
serve on a consulting basis to help the
transition in 2018.
keep something fresh,” she said. “You
have to have the machinery, the tires to
kick, but it’s a challenge to get something
new there every year. That marriage of the
two makes the show successful.”
In recent years, finding volunteers has
become a challenge, as many longtime
helpers have retired.
Volunteer numbers average roughly
100 the week of the Expo. O’Leary also
depends on volunteers to help determine
the year’s hottest topics.
“They’re the ones that come up with
all of this, and then I sew it or glue it all
together to be the show,” she said.
For the next director, O’Leary recom-
mends having a good team of board and
committee members.
“Work with them where you listen to
Building
Healthy Soils
offer market analysis,
economic forecast
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
The outlook for wheat
prices and the domestic and
overseas market factors that
impact them will be the topics
during this year’s Spokane Ag
Expo and Pacific Northwest
Farm Forum economic fore-
cast.
Washington State Uni-
versity economics professor
Randy Fortenbery and Wash-
ington Grain Commission
CEO Glen Squires will of-
fer their analysis of the ev-
er-changing outlook for the
domestic economy and for
trade.
Their presentation will be-
gin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb.
8, in the convention center’s
lower level ballroom.
Important factors to watch
in 2017 will be global sup-
ply, production in competing
wheat-growing
countries,
weather, export competition
and currency fluctuations,
Squires said.
Randy Fortenbery
Squires recommends farm-
ers also watch global econom-
ic conditions and U.S. trade
policy.
“There were many state-
ments made through the elec-
tion process,” he said. “We
certainly are interested in en-
suring we have good trading
relations with Asia and Cen-
tral and South America.”
President-elect
Donald
Trump has said he will scut-
tle the Trans-Pacific Partner-
ship, which includes Japan,
one of the largest customers
for Pacific Northwest wheat.
The trade treaty also includes
Mexico, Canada and other Pa-
cific Rim nations.
Squires also plans to give a
world market update.
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SPOKANE — When she first started
with the Spokane Ag Expo, somebody
told Myrna O’Leary that he didn’t expect
the show to last another five years.
That was in August 1988.
“Not on my watch,” she said.
Now, after nearly three decades,
O’Leary has decided this is her last year
as the show’s director.
“I just feel it’s time for somebody else
to take over,” she said.
O’Leary plans to serve in a consulting
or co-director capacity during the 2018
show, which will be her 30th, and help
with the transition to a new director.
“It’s going to be tough, because I love
this job and love working with all of the
agriculture people, farmers, exhibitors,”
she said. “When you work this job as long
as I have, you develop friendships. Show
week is not only kind of a reunion for the
attendees, it is for me, too.”
“It’s sad, but we knew it was coming,”
said longtime Expo board member Bill
Nelson, of Spokane Valley. “She puts her
whole heart and soul into it. It’s because of
Myrna this show has been so successful.”
O’Leary spent 14 years as assistant di-
rector of the Expo and 15 as director.
She takes pride in keeping the show
running, profitable and all of the exhibitor
booths sold out for many years.
“The show’s always a challenge to
them and they listen to you, where you’re
a partnership,” she said. “I’m so success-
ful behind the scenes (because) I check,
double-check and triple-check every-
thing.”
O’Leary grew up at Spokane’s city
limits, across the street from a large chick-
en farm. Her family then lived in Colfax,
Wash., for a few years before returning.
She married into a cattle ranching fami-
ly. Her jobs have included working at Spo-
kane Produce and running a seed-packag-
ing machine for Lilly Miller.
“I’ve always kind of had my hands in
agriculture without even realizing it, one
way or another,” she said. “Ag was all
around us. We knew agriculture was im-
portant. Sunday drives were into the coun-
try. Back then, Spokane was the ag hub.
And still is, but people don’t realize it.”
Cheney, Wash., farmer and Expo board
member David Dobbins thanked O’Leary
for all of her work behind the scenes, and
spoke of the need for more volunteers.
“I think a lot of younger-generation
farmers take it for granted that shows like
Ag Expo are around,” he said.
Board member Nelson is hopeful for
the future.
“There’s a lot of work to do and there’s
changes to be made,” he said, noting
O’Leary and the board work each year
to keep the show fresh. “As long as we
continue on that path and keep it a farm
show, I think it’s going to be successful
for who knows how long.”
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