Board of Directors

About the Authority Authority Staff  Meeting Schedule

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Marion Ashley Supervisor, Riverside County Marion Ashley is a member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, representing Riverside County‘s Fifth Supervisorial District. Until recently, he served as a director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and as a board member and past president of the Eastern Municipal Water
District (EMWD), where he has led efforts for more efficient operations and more equitable rates for water users. He is also president of the EMWD Facilities Corporation and a director of the Association of California Water Agencies.  Ashley is a Certified Public Accountant with experience in a major national accounting firm, former president of a real estate investment firm, and former chairman of Valley Bank of Moreno Valley. He has given more than 30 years of public service to Riverside County. In addition, his family has donated hundreds of acres in the west Perris hills to establish University of California’s “Motte Rimrock Reserve” for wildlife preservation. Community service and youth programs have always been top priorities for Ashley, who founded the Perris Youth Basketball Program, served as a director and treasurer of Riverside Community Hospital, past president of the Rotary Club of Perris, as trustee of the UC Riverside Foundation and a trustee of the March Field Museum Foundation. He is a native of Riverside County and attended local schools. He graduated from Riverside Community College and San Diego State University with degrees in Business Management. He and his wife of 47 years, Mary, live in Perris.  They have six children and fourteen grandchildren.
Patricia A. Larson Coachella Valley Water District Patricia A. Larson received a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA in 1949, a Juris Doctorate from Citrus Belt Law School in Riverside in 1990, and was admitted to the California Bar in the same year.  Patricia A. Larson is currently Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments
(CVAG). Patricia had been active in community work including serving two terms on the Palm Springs Board of Education, working as President of the Riverside County School Board Association and as Director of State School Boards Association.  She is a founder of both the California Women for Agriculture and American Agriwomen.  She also served as Supervisor, 4th District, Riverside County Board of Supervisors, being elected to office in 1982 then re-elected for a second term in 1986 and a third term in 1990.  Patricia has also been an active member in the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), the Riverside County Housing Authority, Sunline Transit Agency Board of Directors, Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Board of Directors, the Bureau of Land Management’s California Desert District Advisory Council, and the Salton Sea Authority.
Wally Leimgruber Supervisor, Imperial County Wally Leimgruber was elected to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors in 1998 to represent District No. 5. Wally and his wife Marjie also own and operate a successful farming business in Holtville. Born in Calexico, Leimgruber was raised on
the family farm. Graduating from Holtville High School in 1971, he continued on with his farming roots, starting his own farming business in 1972. Leimgruber has been happily married to the former Marjie Dahm for 25 years and they have two children, Amy and Matthew, both currently attending California universities. Wally and Marjie have been heavily involved in the community from coaching athletics to being members of the Pioneers Museum, Imperial Valley Swiss Club and the Navy League. The Leimgruber family has also been active participants in 4-H, FFA and the American Field Service.
Stella A. Mendoza Imperial Irrigation District Stella A. Mendoza is the Imperial Irrigation District Director representing Division 4. Her election in November 2000 General Election marks the first time a woman won a seat on the IID Board of Directors.
Born in Brawley, Mrs. Mendoza received an AA degree from Imperial Valley College. She is a real estate agent with ERA in Brawley. She is a past Brawley City Councilwoman and mayor. She is president of the Women's Community Club of Brawley and a member of the Brawley Lion's Club and the Soroptimists Club of Brawley. She also serves as vice-chairwoman of the Calipatria State Prison Citizen's Advisory Committee. Mrs. Mendoza has been married to her husband, Ernie, for 29 years. The couple lives in Brawley and have three sons.
Peter G. Nelson Coachella Valley Water District Peter G. Nelson was sworn in as a member of the Coachella Valley Water District board of directors in June 2000 when he was  appointed to serve out the unexpired term of Dorothy Nichols who resigned after having served 13 years as a board member. Nelson, who has resided in the Coachella
Valley since 1987, is general manager of agricultural operations for J&P Properties whose interests in the Thermal area produce citrus, dates and table grapes. He has been in that position since 1989. Prior to that Nelson was associated with the Superior Farming Company for five years. A graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a degree in agricultural economics, Nelson, his wife and three children reside in Thermal. He is active in youth sports programs and serves as a director of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Indio.
Roy Wilson Supervisor, Riverside County Roy Wilson is Chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. He was first elected to represent the 4th District in 1994 and was re-elected in June 1998.  The fourth district is the largest geographic region in the County, stretching
from the North Palm Springs area south to the Salton Sea and east to the Colorado River and the California/Arizona border.  The district covers more than 5,000 of the County's 7,300 square miles. Prior to becoming a County Supervisor, Roy spent more than 33 years in higher education as an administrator and professor at California State University, Stanislaus (6 years) and College of the Desert (27 years).  During more than 20 of those years at College of the Desert, Roy served in municipal government as a Planning Commissioner (3 years) and a City Council member (17 years) for the City of Palm Desert.  He served four terms as Mayor of the city. His civic duties also include 11 years as a governing board member for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, 20 years on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and 4 years on the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and is immediate past Chairman of the SunLine Transit Agency. In addition to civic duties, Roy has been active in professional journalism organizations, his teaching specialty.  He has served as President of the California/Arizona Journalism Association of Community Colleges and President of the national Community College Journalism Association.  In 1995, Roy was inducted into the Community College Journalism Association's Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.  Roy is the author of a textbook used throughout the United States and in Canada, which is now in its fourth edition.  Mass Media/Mass Culture, is published by McGraw-Hill, the largest publisher of textbooks in the world.  Because of time constraints imposed by his duties on the Board of Supervisors, Roy was joined for the development of the fourth edition by a co-author, his brother, a professor of mass communication and journalism at California State University, Fresno.  Roy holds bachelor and master's degrees from California State Universities and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Southern California. Although Roy doesn't find much spare time, when he does, he enjoys visiting with his family, which includes five children and ten grandchildren.  He also enjoys reading, traveling and hiking around his mountain cabin in Idyllwild.

Gary Wyatt Supervisor, Imperial County Gary Wyatt graduated from Brawley Union High School and furthered his educational career, attending Imperial Valley College and Southern California College; he received a Management Degree from Berean College. Gary has been married to Dorothy Elaine Wyatt for 27 years and has two children,

Kari Danise and Jeremy Adam, and now resides in Brawley, California.  Gary Wyatt has served the Imperial County for 10 years, working in the Sheriff's Department. As supervisor of the Crime Prevention Unit and Volunteer Services, his duties included community services and liaison, public relations, special projects coordinator, and media contact. He was recipient of an Employee of the Year Award and a member of the unit that received the Crime Prevention Unit of the Year Award from the State of California.  Gary has demonstrated public and community involvement, serving on the Brawley Union High School Board of Trustees, being a member of the Navy League, the Imperial Valley Football Officials, the Imperial Valley Basketball Officials, and serving as a chairman of the Sheriff's Reserves Youth & Athletic Committee. He also served on the California Rural Crime Prevention Task Force, the Red Ribbon Coalition and the California Crime Prevention Officers Association. Gary is now serving the Imperial County as Imperial County Supervisor, District 4. As Supervisor of District 4, Gary represents the north end of the Imperial Valley.

Salton Sea Authority Ex-Officio Members

Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
Coachella Valley Association of Governments
Imperial Valley Association of Governments
California Resources Agency
California Department of Fish and Game

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