As at least one official rescinds her resignation from the embattled Kendall County Fair Association, a former director is pushing back against claims about mismanagement of the 2025-26 Queen’s Court.
Johanna Olivarez, a pageant director who stated she stepped away from the pageant program during the summer before resigning in September after the controversy became public, is speaking up after parents and members of the 2025-26 fair royalty raised concerns about attire, reimbursements, cancellations and conduct around young people.
The situation came to a head, and has led to a schism in the nonprofit, when 2025-26 Queen Makenna Jureczki had her microphone silenced Sept. 3 as she criticized association leadership during the introduction of the new court for 2026-27.
“Makenna has served on the court before and knew what was expected of her,” said Olivarez, a former queen herself. “The things she said – it may be how you feel, but you cannot say those things publicly.”
Olivarez also said she never got the opportunity to openly address some of the complaints that arose after the September incident, which promoted a groundswell of support via social media for Jureczki.
“I kept hearing that the (Boerne) Star was sending emails for comment, and I said, ‘Where are they?’” Olivarez said.
The former official said any email inquiries sent to her by way of the executive board did not get forwarded.
Meanwhile, KCFA leaders said they cannot comment at this time, based on the advice of legal counsel.
The controversy led to a heated Sept. 22 KCFA meeting, where First Vice President Kim Flessner publicly resigned, though she has since returned, according to members.
Olivarez also countered claims the 2025-26 Queen’s Court only used their outfits one time, which Jureczki said happened at the 2026 Kendall County Fair.
“And we constantly got pushback from the mothers on the attire,” Olivarez said. “They would complain about the heat, but I did it when I served as queen, and they were wearing similar outfits to the directors that were on scene at the events. They were fine.”
Seemingly conflicting communications among some of the association leadership also had consequences, she added.
“That caused so much more tension,” Olivarez said.
She also addressed comments by the 2025-26 Court about smoking and drinking around the young girls.
“I don’t know where they got that from,” Olivarez said. “We always walked away from the girls or waited until they were long gone before doing any of that.”
The former KCFA official, whose name has surfaced in the crossfire, said she stepped away from the 2025-26 Queen’s Court pageant program in June.
“I was barely involved after that, so I don’t know why I got so much heat,” she said.
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