John R. Maestas, a member of the Beckley Ward and a high councilor in the New River Virginia Stake, coordinated the horse unit in the Inaugural Parade for President Bill Clinton.
Clinton and his vice president, Al Gore, were inaugurated Jan. 20.Brother Maestas, vice president for Institutional Advancement at the College of West Virginia, worked with the newly elected Native American Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado to coordinate the 30-horse unit.
Known by his Indian name, Standing Elk, Brother Maestas performed a similar duty in 1980 when President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. In 1984, when Reagan was re-elected, Brother Maestas coordinated 65 horses for the event. The weather, however, caused the cancellation of the parade.
