ASHTABULA —
Wine and Walleye Fish Commissioner Joseph Misinec did such a fantastic job last year, the festival committee caught him again this year for the job.
Misinec presided over the 2011 Wine and Walleye Festival and now has been named the 2012 Fish Commissioner, as well.
“Joe is awesome,” said Jessica Forsythe, chair of the 2012 Wine and Walleye Festival, who also serves as president of the Ashtabula Area Chamber of Commerce. “He did such a good job last year and he was willing to do it for the same pay (volunteer for free) as last year.”
His predecessors include Ellie Herzog and Glenn Warner.
Misinec said he loved talking to people and promoting the festival last summer.
“I moved Wanda (the festival float/boat) all around the county — from Pymatuning, Harpersfield and Conneaut,” he said.
During the festival, he hobnobbed with the 12,000 attendees to “make sure they were taken care of,” he said. “I like meeting people from different parts of Ohio.”
Misinec is no stranger to Ashtabula County.
After graduating from Jefferson Area High School, Misinec attended Bowling Green University and Ohio State University. He received a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and a master’s in business.
For the past 33 years, Misinec co-owned and operated Grand River Rubber and Plastics with Ric Selip. As of Jan. 1, 2011, the men semi-retired as a result of an employee buyout.
Misinec has been married to his wife, Carol, for 41 years and they have one son, J.R. He married Tammy, a teacher from Jefferson, and they have three children, Joey, Sarah and Becca.
They also have a daughter, Jodi, who is an attorney. She is married to Alan and they have two children, Emma and Lucy.
Misinec is very involved in the community, including the Board and Executive team of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ashtabula Area Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Division, and the United Way, to name just a few.
His greatest joy is spending time with his grandchildren, he said.
In addition to the nicknames he has garnered in life, such as Mello, Hammer Hand and Red, his all-time favorite name is Papayo, which is what his grandchildren call him.
Visit the Wine and Walleye Festival website, wineandwalleye.net for more details on this year’s event, slated for Aug. 24-26 in the historic Ashtabula harbor.
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