The Fair Person of the Year award is looked at as being the most prestigious one awarded by the VAF Committee, a group of Board representatives intended to honor those who are nominated by their peers affiliated with their respective fairs. The four judging criteria are: service, fair industry involvement, community involvement, and career highlights.

Danny Byrum has led his local Isle of Wight County Fair forward by measures of leaps and bounds for over at least the last 10 years. He has cooperated with other Officers, Board Members, volunteers, etc. in many, many ways, successfully providing online ticketing as well as expanding agricultural education.

Throughout the years Danny has been actively dedicated to his positions of leading a committee; those areas particularly include: Agriculture Chair, Master Gardener Lead, Sponsorship Chair, Second Vice Chair, and Chairman. He has also served on the Virginia Association of Fairs Board of Directors as: Committee Showcase Chair and Conference Chair. Both before, during, and after became President of the VAF, he made it a priority to visit as many of the local fairs as possible across the Commonwealth to observe regional ideas and practices. Further, he has made it a priority for several years to attend, as often as possible, the international, national and regional conferences of the IAFE, International Association of Fairs and Expositions.

Danny exhibits dedication to the preservation and heritage of the Isle of Wight County Fair; and it seems to many of his co-workers as well as attendees that his most important hobby is that of volunteering during off-fair. Scheduling time to initiate or help with logistics regarding the County Tourism and Parks and Recreation events, separate from his fair activities that are also held on an annual basis at the fairgrounds. To further assist improvements that serve the County public at large, he has made, and continues to make, in-kind donations to construct or build projects on the grounds for use potentially of all County residents.

Danny has worked on the family farm from quite a young age, learning basics from his family members who made their livelihood that very way. Following graduation from local schools, he went to work in the area of Shipbuilding and it was not long before the administrators therein recognized his potential and he was offered a seat in the Shipyard Apprenticeship program, a four-year program, which he finished six months early, allowing him to graduate with honors in only three and one half years. Danny became an instructor, shop planner and supervisor of others for the next thirty years. Upon his retirement he was awarded the Navy Civilian Service Award, which is regarded as a career highlight. Following his professional career, he returned to his farm operation, Batten Bay Farms. He has dived into fair, community and County activities and it seems any other event that might need his expertise. With all this said, congratulations to the 2024 VAF Fair Person of the Year, Danny Byrum, Isle of Wight County Fair!.