Fantasia Named Homecoming Parade Marshal

Fairmont State's traditional Homecoming Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in downtown Fairmont. Student Government has selected Fairmont Mayor Nick Fantasia as parade marshal.

Any marching group, organization, community group or business interested in having a float in the parade should call the Office of Student Affairs at (304) 367-4643 by Friday, Oct. 6. Line-up for the parade will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Second Street.

The annual Pep Rally will immediately follow the parade at Duvall-Rosier Field. Clubs on campus will compete for the Spirit Stick, as cheerleaders and Marching Band lead the crowd in cheering on the Fighting Falcons. Homecoming court candidates, the football coaches and captains will also be introduced.

The Fighting Falcons take on West Liberty State College for the Homecoming football game at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Duvall-Rosier Field. Visit www.fairmontstate.edu for a complete list of student and alumni events for the week of Homecoming, Oct. 9-14.

Fantasia is a 1985 graduate of Fairmont State College with degrees in Business Administration and Secondary Education-Social Studies. He received his Master of Business Administration degree from Waynesburg College in 2001.

Fantasia is president of Fantasia Broadcasting Co. in Fairmont and owner of American Chevrolet-Pontiac in Mannington. He has served as Fairmont's mayor since 1996, elected by Fairmont City Council. He has served on the council since 1996, having been elected to four consecutive terms.

He currently serves as president of the Marion Regional Development Corp. and is a member of the following boards of directors: Fairmont General Hospital Inc., Clay Center for the Arts, West Virginia Municipal League, Fairmont Community Liaison Panel and the Marion County Multi-Modal Transportation Study.

Fantasia's civic involvement includes membership on the Fairmont State Alumni Association and Fairmont State Letterman's Association boards of directors, as well as the FGH Foundation and East Fairmont High School Foundation. He is also past president of the South Fairmont Rotary.

He is a past recipient of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce President's Award, the Marion County Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award, the Sam Walton Entrepreneur's Award, West Virginia Main Street Outstanding Public Servant, the U.S. Small Business Administration West Virginia Family Business of the Year, West Virginia Executive Magazine Young Gun (fall 2000) and The State Journal's Who's Who in West Virginia Business.

Fantasia and his wife Beth have two sons, Dominic and Nicholas.