Douglas to join Chamber Hall of Fame

Volunteering is an important part of life for Rusty Douglas of rural Mayetta.

For several years, Douglas, shown at right, has volunteered his services at the Jackson County Fair’s beef show, helping future generations of Jack­son County farmers and ranchers show their steers and heifers. He’s volunteered 20 years of his time as a member of the Royal Valley USD 337 Board of Education, and he’s also coached youth sports.

And when he sees someone that he helped as a young person doing now what he did for them then, it gives him a good feeling.

“I believe that the youth of any community are important in keep­ing that community growing and thriving, whether it’s helping at the 4-H fair or being on the school board or coaching Little League baseball or football,” Douglas said. “If our kids are involved and active and they see me doing it, the hope is that they’ll do the same thing when they grow older.”

That commitment to volunteer­ing — and helping young people understand the value of it — has earned him a spot among the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame’s in­ductees for 2024, an honor that he said had him “a little bit taken back,” but one he happily accepts.

“There have been some pretty awesome people who have been selected to the Hall of Fame,” he said. “Now I’m one of them, which is pretty cool.”

It’s the second Jackson County community honor that he’s earned in the past year, after he and his wife, Pam, were chosen by the Jackson County Fair Association to serve as grand marshals of the Jackson County Fair Parade this past summer. But in this honor, he acknowledges the support that his wife gives him in his commitment to being a good volunteer.

“Even with all my volunteering, Pam’s always supported me. It’s always been very helpful,” he said. “It’s good to be able to commit to something knowing that your part­ner has your back.”

Douglas’ commitment to volun­teering for the Jackson County Fair’s beef show can be traced back to his days as a boy growing up in the Netawaka area, where his father, the late Morris Douglas, was a cattle producer, working mainly in Hereford-Angus cross­bred cattle.

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