Photos Courtesy of Micki Phillips and the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce
According to Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce president, Fred Clark, there were a lot of people nominated for this year’s Man of the Year slot, yet somehow he was nominated and selected.
He told the Kern Valley Sun last week, “I will be completely honest with you. Don’t get me wrong; I’m honored for being nominated. I appreciate it very much. But I personally would have liked to have seen a different person receive Man of the Year.”
While it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to turn down the honor, apparently Clark tried to turn it down and the chair for the committee determining the winner shooed Clark’s protests away.
“I don’t believe it’s in the best interest of the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce to have a current sitting president nominated for that award. I feel that it looks bad upon the chamber because there’s so many people that do so many great things. And I feel like they (the committee) are looking within their own spectrum for that nominee when they do what they did,” Clark said. “I personally nominated a different individual in the valley, that they (the committee) obviously chose not to support because apparently there was a number of nominations for myself, which I’m honored with that.”
Clark also stated that he would have preferred the committee waited until he was out of the presidency before honoring him. ‘I just hope the public doesn’t tantalize the chamber because of this. All I care about is the image of the chamber nothing more. We do a lot for the KRV and I wouldn’t want us to be negatively impacted by this decision
Clark was asked to join the board of directors for the KRV chamber in mid 2017 because the chamber had open seats. He was on the board for a few months before the secretary of the chamber left and moved out of state. He was approached to become secretary of the chamber.
In 2019 Clark was the vice president of the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce. The president then resigned the position and Clark was seated as president of the chamber. Fred plans to continue with the chamber even after he leaves the presidency next election. Clark said the position of president involves a lot of responsibility.
Clark and his family moved to the Kern Valley full time in November 2014. He started his business the Fred Clark Farmer’s Insurance Agency as insurance professional in November 2016.
Prior to that Clark grew up in the packaging industry, “literally from ground zero,” he said. In October 1990 he went to work for West Coast where the owner Keith Hoching became his business mentor. Clark said, “Keith is the one who truly taught me everything on how to operate and handle yourself in the business world. He was basically my mentor in life.”
Clark eventually went to work for Reserve Truck Lines, a trucking company, which was a family owned business where he became a key part of that business and he worked sometimes 16 hour days. When Clark finally pulled the trigger, left the transportation industry he was approached by Farmer’s Insurance. He said, “They found my resume online.”
Clark was thereafter able to step back into the role of how his mentor Keith taught him. “It’s his focus and teachings that really got me to where I’m at,” Clark said. As long as there’s a need for an insurance agent he plans to serve in that capacity.
Clark moved his family to the Kern Valley after they inherited a home and were preparing to sell it. That was when Fred and his wife Lana found that their son Hunter, who was a special needs child, blossomed more when they were up here in the valley. With Hunter doing better up here, than where they formerly lived, the couple decided to shift their life, and moved up here from Moreno Valley.
Aside from his mentor, Clark also credits his son Hunter for making him a better person. And therefore Clark credited his wife’s efforts at home educating their son, for making him the excellent person their son Hunter grew to be.
Clark has been involved with Exchange Club where he has served as president, twice in the past 8 years. He runs the Isabella Fishing Derby, as chairman, which is a year-round project. He is on the board of directors for the Kern Valley Healthcare District where he was just reelected to another four years of service.
Clark is also chairman of SOS Dog Rescue and partner in the Kern Valley Sun. “I’ve got my hat in enough arenas that I don’t know that I need to join more at this time,” he said.
He has been married to his wife Lana since February 21, 1987. They share a son Hunter. Clark also has a daughter who is a schoolteacher and lives in Conway Arkansas.
