CANTON – The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce have named two longtime community volunteers, Bill Smith and Mike Gallina, to the top leadership positions for the annual Enshrinement Festival this summer.
Smith will serve as general chair and Gallina will serve as general vice chair. They will lead more than 2,500 volunteers who help with the planning, coordination and execution of all events, which kick off Aug. 1 with the Community Parade.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri this year. The induction ceremony will take place Aug. 8 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
“The Enshrinement Festival could not find itself in any more capable hands than those of Bill Smith and Mike Gallina,” Hall of Fame President and CEO Jim Porter said in a prepared statement. “Each has devoted thousands of hours to our community, and now they are committing to two full years in these leadership roles. I’m excited to see the imprints they make on the Enshrinement Festival events to keep them special for local residents and the many guests coming to town.”
Smith, a Stark County commissioner and Canton Township resident, has been running Smith’s Waco Market since 1976. He also manages several commercial properties through Waco Properties. A hot-air balloon pilot, he has served on the Hall of Fame Balloon Classic Committee and is the field announcer for the event.
Gallina, who lives in Canton, is the vice president of organizational development and community engagement for the Aultman Health System. Prior to joining Aultman, his career spanned 30 years in the education field – 24 as a school administrator and the final 19 years as superintendent in the Minerva Local and North Canton City School districts.
The Enshrinement Festival has a major economic impact on Stark County, generating $40 million for the region and nearly $65 million for the state, according to officials.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hall of Fame, Canton chamber name leaders for the 2026 Enshrinement Festival
Reporting by Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
