Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson stands with his wife, Deborah Dawson, who’s the St. Clair Township Fiscal Officer, while surrounded by representatives of the Columbiana County Fair Board of Directors after his recent induction into the Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame for his support of the Columbiana County Fair. Pictured from left are, Holly Gaston, Josh Gaston, Fair Board President John Wolf, Fair Board Vice President Rich Boyd, Bert Dawson, Fair Board Treasurer Melissa Boyd, Deborah Dawson, Fair Board Secretary Michelle Crawford, Amanda Moore and Paul Lease, who also serves as 1st Vice President of the Ohio Fair Managers Association Board of Directors, along with serving the Columbiana County Fair. (Photo provided by Bert Dawson)

LISBON — Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson received recognition recently as an inductee of the Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Columbiana County Fair and fairgrounds.

That’s an event and a place near and dear to his heart, what he called one of the nice things in life.

“Fairs are the real America — the families and kids. I’ve always been part of the fair,” Dawson said.

His aunt and uncle lived close to the Ohio State Fair, so he spent a lot of time at the state fair in Columbus, along with going to the Columbiana County Fair in Lisbon. As county engineer, he’s sent his crews up to the fairgrounds to help out with a lot of projects, such as doing chip and seal of the driveways and working on the track, donating, relocating and installing the historic bow string bridge to serve as the north entrance and relocating and installing a covered bridge.

If the fair board needs anything, he said they come and find him. He goes up to the fair every year and he’s happy to help.

“I think the fair is a good family-oriented activity,” Dawson said.

The Ohio Fair Managers Association announced the induction of five Ohio Fairs Supporters into the Class of 2026 Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame on Jan. 18 in Columbus at the conclusion of the 101st Annual Ohio Fairs Convention. Besides Dawson, other inductees included Kim R. Meyers of the Lorain County Fair, Gary Prater of the Ross County Fair, Dan “Danny” Gray of the Brown County Fair and Theresa Call of the Summit County Fair.

“I’m honored,” Dawson said.

The awards booklet biography about Dawson, who attended the awards breakfast with his wife, Deborah, along with a contingent of representatives of the Columbiana County Fair, called his contributions particularly noteworthy.

“For decades, Mr. Dawson has supported the Fair in ways both visible and behind the scenes. Whether providing manpower, equipment, materials, engineering expertise, or simply a willingness to help whenever needed, Mr. Dawson and his crews have been indispensable partners,” the biography said.

The booklet specifically mentioned the covered bridge, the chip and seal program, property surveys and deed work when new land has been acquired for parking and campgrounds at a savings to the park board, the 2017 bow string arch bridge project which relocated an 1872 wrought iron bridge to the fairgrounds and earned an Ohio Historic Bridge Preservation Award, securing state funding leading to the construction of improved, ADA-compliant modern restrooms, the production of street signs named after county townships to help direct fairgoers, assistance with the new 2014 grandstand and bleacher seating improvements.

The booklet also talked about Dawson’s preservation efforts across the county, such as the restoration of the P.L. & W. Train Station in Lisbon and rehabilitation of five historic wrought iron truss bridges spanning Little Beaver Creek.

“Ladies and gentleman, what we see in Mr. Dawson’s career is not merely longevity — it is a legacy. A legacy built on hard work, cooperation, innovation, stewardship, and an unwavering belief in the value of community For 56 years, he has not simply served Columbiana County — he has strengthened it, enriched it, and preserved it for generations to come. Mr. Bert Dawson — a true steward of Columbiana County and a champion of its past, present and future,” the biography said.

A native of East Liverpool and graduate of East Liverpool High School, Dawson is a distinguished alumnus of Ohio State University, Youngstown State University and Carnegie Mellon University. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in engineering and is a registered professional engineer in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania and a registered professional surveyor in Ohio.

He was elected county engineer in 1969 and is the senior ranking county engineer in the entire state of Ohio.