Kluse to lead fair parade Aug. 22

Mike Kluse, who led the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland for eight years, is this year’s grand marshal of the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo Parade.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. Aug. 22 in downtown Kennewick and lasts about two hours.

Last year, about 3,800 people showed up to watch the 167 entries, which included bands, floats, horse groups and other entries.

Also being honored during the parade are fair booster Delt Clark, who got involved with the fair 12 years ago, and Volunteer of Year Kathy Nuckolls, who started her volunteer work in 1977 as a 4-H leader.

Kluse and his wife, Gloria, continue to live in the Tri-Cities and remain engaged in community organizations and causes. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

Kluse is a board member of the Washington Roundtable and the Washington Technology Alliance. In the Tri-Cities, he is chairman of the Tri-Cities Development Council board of directors and serves on the Washington State University Tri-Cities Advisory Committee.

Kluse spearheaded Battelle’s leadership roles in the development of Delta High School, the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center, the Tri-Cities Research District and other projects.

Battelle gave $2.5 million to the Reach center, which opened last year, and Kluse was co-chairman of the center’s Capital Campaign Steering Committee.

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Kluse to lead fair parade Aug. 22."