Published: February 29, 2008 10:03 am      

From business suit to blue jeans

Five days a week, Chris Pool slips on his dress clothes and goes to work at the Meridian Branch of the Pauls Valley National Bank where he serves in the position of Vice President.

But two times a year the executive trades his slacks for blue jeans and his slippers for cowboy boots and makes his way to the Fairbarns in Wacker Park where he volunteers as Swine Superintendent for the Garvin County Fall Fairs and Spring Livestock Shows.

Helping out at the Garvin County livestock shows seems like the natural thing to do for Pool, since he grew up around livestock and has been working with pigs in one way or another for several years now.

“I was born in Shawnee and grew up on a dairy milking cows and raising pigs. I was used to getting up at 4:30 in the morning and not finishing up until 7:30 in the evening — with a whole lot of work in between,” Pool said.

“I showed pigs in FFA in high school and my kids showed pigs, too. Then I started raising pigs in ‘91 to sell. I don’t raise pigs anymore but I still enjoy staying involved with kids and being around livestock.”

Pool said his duties as Swine Superintendent include making rules for the livestock shows, breaking pigs down into classes and working the showroom during spring and fall competitions.

Though he isn’t originally from Garvin County, Pool said he has come to love the Pauls Valley area over the years and thoroughly enjoys working with the youth through the local 4-H and FFA programs.

“I came to Pauls Valley in 1985 when I was working with the Federal Land Bank and soon began helping out at the livestock shows. I’ve been doing this now for 22 years and I just love being here in Pauls Valley and helping out the kids at these livestock shows,” Pool explained.

Pool currently resides in Pauls Valley with his wife Kimberly who works at Whitebead Elementary where she instructs sixth, seventh and eighth grade English classes.