Board Members

The Board of Directors of GYPA is comprised of 2 appointments from each Member entity. New Members must be federal, state or local governmental entities or federally recognized Indian Tribes, who are unanimously approved by the current Board of Directors.




Matias Rosales, Councilman for the City of San Luis

Matias Rosales, is the current Chairman of the GYPA board. He also serves as a proactive Council Member for the City of San Luis, AZ. He was elected in 2012, for a four-year term and was reelected in 2016 and 2020 to serve the San Luis and Rural Arizona communities. 

In his time in City Council, he's had the privilege to serve as Vice Mayor from June 2012 to July 2017 and was recently appointed again in 2020.

Matias Rosales has been an independent business owner since 1996. He is the current Broker/Owner of Realty One Group Gateway serving the real estate needs of the Yuma Community. Mr. Rosales has aided in the developments of communities throughout San Luis AZ. His firsthand knowledge with USDA rules and financing has allowed him to help families purchase their first homes. A milestone that was a dream for many of his clients. 

Mr. Rosales has also served in the capacity of San Luis Parking and Traffic Commissioner, National Association of Latino Elected Board Members (NALEO), President-Elect of the Yuma Association of Realtors Board Director, Wish Granter for the Make-a-Wish Foundation for the Yuma Area, Border Trade Alliance Board member, and Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commissioner. 

His philosophies reflect that of honesty, integrity, and equal representation for the Rural parts of the state. Often overlooked, his statewide work has always brought forth a spotlight to the County. 

He has 4 children, ages 24,19,15,13 who attend school, live and work throughout Yuma County. He has been married to his wife, Carol for 25 years.   

 




Nieves Riedel, current Mayor of the City of San Luis. 

Appointed by the City of San Luis November 2023.

Mayor Nieves Riedel was elected this past August 2, 2022, by the residents of San Luis, Arizona.  She has been a resident of San Luis, Arizona for over 20 years, a successful businesswoman in southern Yuma County where she has helped over 3,000 families in San Luis, Arizona become homeowners, has also been an urban developer and owns a construction company which she started with her late husband more than 30 years ago.

During all these years, Mrs. Nieves Riedel, as a mother of three children with successful careers, is a true believer in education and committed to the youth of San Luis, Arizona and all its residents.   As such, she has been an active community member has helped in providing scholarships to students in AWC and San Luis high school so that they may continue their studies.  She has also actively been involved in supporting several non-profit organizations such as the House for Domestic Violence Victims, Gadsden School District, as well as a sponsor to the San Luis Film Festival, among others.  As a resident, she has always strived to focus on this community's needs.

 Nieves Riedel is a firm believer in San Luis, Arizona potential for growth which is her motivation to serve as an elected official for a second term.  In 2004 she was elected mayor and together with the council members in office at that time, many goals were achieved such as the city hall complex that includes the fire and police station, paid off some major debts that the city had at that time.  One such debt was for the water wells also at that time new vehicles were also purchased for the police and fire department.

 Mayor Nieves Riedel is committed to San Luis, Arizona community members to bring transparency in all decision-making that affects the city, treat everyone with respect, and to ensure that the San Luis, Arizona continues to grow in a responsible way.

  

 

Council member Gary Knight is a Yuma native, who graduated from Kofa High School in 1965.  He continued his education by attending Arizona Western College where he obtained an Associates of Arts degree in Business in 1967. He served six years in the United States Navy where he was an electronics technician for the repair of shipboard communication and radar equipment prior to receiving an honorable discharge in 1974 and returning home to Yuma.   Upon his return, Mr. Knight obtained employment with local boat dealership Davidson Marine Supply, where he became manager then owner. He sold the business in 2006, continuing to work as a consultant until his retirement in 2009.  

Mr. Knight was elected to a four-year term on the Yuma City Council in 2013, and re-elected in 2017. He was appointed Deputy Mayor in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He serves on the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO) Executive Board and on the Board of Directors of the Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA) for the City.  Mr. Knight also represents the City on both the Chamber Transportation Committee and the Chamber Legislative Affairs Committee.  

Shortly after taking office in 2018, Governor Ducey appointed Mr. Knight to the State Transportation Board for a six-year term representing District 6 (Yuma, La Paz, Mohave and Yavapai counties).  Each county in the district has a member from that county on the board every 18 years to serve a six-year term.   Mr. Knight is married to his former 6th grade schoolmate, Bonnie, and enjoys the Yuma outdoors spending his free time trap shooting, bass fishing and golfing. He has a son Kevin (Cana), a daughter Melissa and four grandchildren.

Russ Jones, Broker/Owner, RL Jones Custom House Brokers was appointed by the City of Yuma December 2023 to serve as the boards representative. 

 For the past four decades, Russ Jones has been the head of R.L. Jones Customs Brokers. During that time, the company has expanded and along with its sister companies dealing in warehousing, freight forwarding, logistics, property management, and insurance services, now has offices throughout California, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. His activities have not been restricted to his business interests. Additionally, he has been elected twice to the Arizona State House of Representatives, bringing his special expertise on Customs and border issues, along with transportation, agriculture and educational concerns to the Capitol.

Additionally, he continues with his community and civic involvement by serving as the Chair of the Yuma County Republican Central Committee and participating as a member of the Arizona State GOP Committee.

In addition to his local philanthropic activities, Mr. Jones is Past Chair for the U.S./Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership Group, taking an active interest in matching the needs with the funding required to make dreams possible for those on both sides of the border. Also, he is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Border Trade Alliance (BTA), promoting cooperation and understanding between the business communities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, influencing public policy and private sector initiatives for same.

While sitting on the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman for the Arizona Power Authority, dealing with the water and power needs of Arizona, he still made time to spearhead the successful Yuma County JTED efforts, to establish a JTED to allow children and young adults to get the training and experience they need to make a meaningful contribution to their communities in the future. At present he is a Member at Large on the Line Siting Committee for the Arizona Corporation Commission, providing an adequate opportunity for individuals and groups interested in the conservation and the protection of the environment, local governments, and other public bodies to participate, in a timely fashion, in the decision to locate a specific major power generating facility at a specific site.

Community development has been an ongoing endeavor with his participation in statewide, countywide and local economic development projects. Sitting on the Board of Directors for the Arizona/Mexico Commission (AMC) for more than thirty years, having been appointed by Governor Bruce Babbit and most recently being reappointed by Governor Doug Ducey, he has been an integral part of both state and international policymaking. He has sat on the Advisory Board for the Arizona Department of Commerce, the respective Boards of Directors for the Arizona International Development Authority, Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation (GYEDC), San Luis Economic Development Commission, the Yuma and San Luis Chambers of Commerce, as well as his participation on issues dealing with the San Luis Ports of Entry and the development of the original and new Industrial Parks that service those ports. Additionally he was a founding member of 1st Bank Yuma, a thriving community bank that has grown to serve the needs of local communities in Yuma, San Luis, and Nogales, Arizona.

As an Army veteran and currently an officer in the Civil Air Patrol, his attention to the welfare of his local community, whether it is a search and rescue mission, or being a founding member of the committee to incorporate the Town of San Luis, Arizona, and San Luis Rotary Club, a proud member of the NRA, or in his District Advisory position with the Boy Scouts of America, his devotion to the community is well known. Although many of his activities have been mentioned here, it only scratches the surface of his vast body of good works that he has done for the United States and portions of Mexico as well.

 


Ian Mcgaughey was appointed County Administrator for Yuma County, Arizona in 2022 and appointed to the GYPA board shortly after.  

Ian McGaughey was named County Administrator for Yuma County in June 2022 after serving two years as Deputy County Administrator. He has 17 years of local government experience, including serving as City Manager for Somerton, Arizona, Town Manager for Clifton, Arizona, a department director in Tribal local government in Alaska, and as an elected Council member for a city in New York. He has broad experience in the private sector, including small-business ownership, professional communications, and public relations responsibilities. Ian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from American University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University. He has been an ICMA Credentialed Manager since 2020.

 



The Honorable Marco A Tony Reyes is the Chairman of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors. He lives in San Luis AZ. where he attended the Gadsden Elementary School, Kofa High School in Yuma and has received multiple Certificates from among others; the ALETA Police Academy for AZ Police Officer Certification, UTI Universal Training Institute for A/C Solar Heating Technician certification, Arizona Advanced Real Estate Institute for AZ Real Estate license, Arizona State University, Tempe, for Non Profit Management Certification, the BOA Development Leadership Institute and multiple Community and Economic Development courses.

He served as Vice Mayor of San Luis AZ for 2 years and as Mayor for 10 years and has been the Executive Director of Comite De Bien Estar, a Community Development Non-Profit Organization focused on Housing and quality of life issues in South Yuma County for the last 35 years. Mr. Reyes was elected to the Yuma County Board of Supervisors in a special election November 1998 and has been reelected every election cycle since then . He served as the Board Chairman for the first time in 2001 and has also served multiple times as its Vice Chairman. Mr Reyes represents District 4 , a district that includes the Cities of San Luis and Gadsden AZ and limited incorporated areas of the City of Somerton, AZ, it also includes both the East and West Native American Cocopah Nation Reservations and a large portion of unincorporated areas, that includes the US Mexico Border and the Colorado river boundaries between Arizona and California.

Mr. Reyes has served on many Boards and committees and is currently a member of the County Supervisors Association (CSA)the National Association of Counties (NACO) the Western Arizona Council of Governments( WACOG) Executive Board, the Tri-County Economic Development Board , The Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPO), the Arizona Border Counties Coalition (ABCC) etc. and a former member of The National Hispanic Elected Local Officials, the National League of Cities and Towns, The American Council of Young Political Leaders and the Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commission among others.

 
 



Gary Magrino is the “Founding Father” of the Greater Yuma Port Authority. He currently serves as the Business Development Office for the Cocopah Tribe. Specializing in logistics operations and leadership, he seeks leverage in broad executive leadership experience in senior role; offer track record of sustained operations excellence and leadership development within the logistics industry.

With more than More than 30 years of comprehensive experience in directing operations through strategic planning and effective management of staff and budgets. Accustomed to and effective in high-profile executive roles, making high-stakes decisions while overcoming complex operational challenges. Expertise in transportation policy development, transportation management and operations. A team builder capable of implementing best practices and motivating a staff to peak performance. Possess skills and abilities that are well suited to a variety of organizations.  Prior, he had a Trucking Company and has firsthand knowledge of logistical routes around Arizona, trucking regulations and how important location and efficiency is in trans modal freight.

Gary remains continually active with the GYPA Board, his initial idea was to lease the land within the Industrial Park to create a long-term asset for the GYPA. Gary’s vision for the Park was/is for it to house a multi modal model that would incorporate air freight departing from the Rolle Air field, a UP rail line that connected to Ferro Mex allowing access to and from Mexico, all in conjunction with efficient connectivity to SR-195 (RAVE) that lead to the main arterial of I-10.

The City of San Luis has exponentially grown, and that expansion has been more present towards the East side of town. Therefore, a rail line among a residential area would not be so welcome. Mr. Magrino stated regarding the rail line “Everyone wants to have a train, but no one wants to see one or hear it”. The YMPO is due to begin a case study that would outline the location of an ideal location for a rail line. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Present ex-officio members are:

  • Customs and Border Protection, Arizona
  • U.S. Border Patrol. CBP, Yuma Sector
  • General Services Administration (GSA) 
  • Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) 
  • Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (MCAS)
  • Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO)
  • Yuma County Airport Authority (YCAA)
  • Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
  • City of Somerton
  • City of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico
  • Mexican Consulate of Yuma
  • U.S. Congressman Grijalva
  • Former State Senator Amanda Aguirre
  • Former Arizona Representative Lynne Pancrazi
  • Former Arizona Representative Russ Jones
  • Yuma County Chamber of Commerce
  • Northern Arizona University - Yuma
  • Yuma County Farm Bureau
  • Southwest Arizona Port Users
  • U of A Cooperative Extension-Yuma
  • Arizona Western College
  • Arizona Department of Agriculture
  • US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
  • U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
  • International Boundaries and Water Commission, U.S. Mexico Section
  • Arizona Motor Vehicles Division
  • Yuma Convention and Visitor Bureau
 

GYPA Board of Directors may appoint non-voting ex-officio members to the Board.