By SDCN Staff
Del Mar, CA–Businessman Sam Nejabat will become chair of the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors beginning October 1,
Nejabat, who was first appointed to the Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019, was elected to serve a one-year term as chair by a majority of the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board at its Sept. 9 meeting..
Nejabat is set to become chair as the 22nd DAA is building its plans for the short-term and the long-term. The 22nd DAA has undergone significant changes over the past five years to strengthen its business model and improve its operations and is engaged in a master site planning outreach process called Fairgrounds 2050.
“For the past six years, I have been honored to serve on this distinguished Board for this vital San Diego County institution,” Nejabat said. “Together, we have guided this organization through its most difficult challenges and emerged stronger than ever before.
“We now have the opportunity to continue moving the 22nd DAA toward a brighter future. I look forward to working with my fellow Board members and our CEO to guide us forward while staying true to the mission and values of this storied organization.”
Carlene Moore, the 22nd District Agricultural Association’s CEO, said Nejabat’s relationships and experience are assets to the Board.
“Sam Nejabat has seen our organization grow and change for the better during his time on our Board,” said Moore. “We look forward to his leadership as chair as we work toward developing a new master site plan and produce what we know will be an amazing and community-focused 2026 San Diego County Fair.”
Nejabat, who earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree at the University of California, Berkeley, was previously the Assistant Deputy Director of External Affairs at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development from 2020-2023.
In 2023, Nejabat was appointed as Senior Advisor to the Attorney General of California at the California Department of Justice. He has since returned to the private sector as president of SJN Properties.
He has a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College, serves as a trustee to the California State University, and director at the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.
The board also elected Lisa Barkett as vice chair. Barkett, a distinguished Southern California civic leader and education champion, was first appointed to the Board of Directors for the 22nd DAA in 2003 and was most recently reappointed in 2018.
Barkett, who received her bachelor’s degree from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and her juris doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law, has served on the boards of numerous Southern California institutions. She currently serves on the California State Racetrack Leasing Commission, the Del Mar Race Track Authority, and the Don Diego Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors.
All 22nd District Agricultural Association board members are appointed by the governor and are required to reside in the area they serve, San Diego County.
