Board of Directors

Douglas J. Nicholls is the 27th Mayor of the City of Yuma, Arizona. Mayor Nicholls is a civil engineer, a business owner, the head of several organizations and events aimed to spearhead economic development in the region and is committed to serve the people of Yuma.

Mayor Nicholls served as a City of Yuma Councilmember (2009) before being elected to the Mayoral seat (2014). He founded 4FrontED, a Governing Board of mayors and city leaders from Arizona, California, Sonora, and Baja California.

Mayor Nicholls spearheaded the launch of the Elevate Southwest initiative and serves as its Chairman of the Board. He believes a community with more accessible higher education opportunities and quality jobs will make for a more robust quality of life for all Yuma residents.

Mayor Nicholls is President of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. He serves on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Council (appointed in 2021), on the Arizona Commerce Authority Board of Directors, the Governor’s Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness and Housing, the Arizona Military Affairs Council, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Board of Directors, and the Amberly’s Place Board of Directors.

Buna George was elected to the Elevate Southwest (ESW) Board of Directors in July 2022. George has served as the Executive Director of the Greater Yuma Port Authority since 2018.

She earned her associate degree in business administration from Arizona Western College and her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in Urban Planning and Development and City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning. She was accepted to the UA James E. Rogers School of Law and will begin her master’s in legal studies online this fall.

“Advanced technology platforms allowed me to explore higher education options not offered in Yuma. While there is great value in a brick-and-mortar classroom setting, interacting in person with like-minded individuals allows for refining skills and meaningful interactions. I hope to integrate my leadership skills and experiences as a local and online student to refine the ESW initiative further and highlight the benefits higher education would bring to the local workforce in the Greater Yuma region.”

Joining Arizona Western College (AWC) in July 2016, Corr has focused his early efforts on facilitating student success, increasing access to higher education, creating a comprehensive strategic plan, and fostering a climate of innovation, collaboration and stewardship at AWC.

Prior to assuming the role of AWC’s President, Dr. Corr served as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) from 2007-2016. Dr. Corr also held a variety of instructional and administrative positions at three different community colleges in Illinois. All told, he has over 24 years of experience at the community college level.

Paul Brierley is currently Director for the Arizona Department of Agriculture and was previously Vice Chair for Elevate Southwest and the Executive Director of the University of Arizona Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture. 

As Executive Director for UA Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, based in Yuma, a public-private partnership between the college and the Arizona and California desert agriculture industry, Brierley was dedicated to addressing “on-the-ground” industry needs through collaboration and research. Brierley also led the effort at the University of Arizona on the Presidential Advisory Commission on the Future of Agriculture & Food Production in a Drying Climate.

Jon was raised in Dos Palos, Ca. where his father taught school and had a small dairy.  After graduating from U.C. Davis, Jon served the United States military in Korea. Upon return stateside, he secured a crop advisor job for a local farmer co-op in Yuma, Arizona.

Jon learned to fly and earned an MBA at Peter Drucker on the G.I. Bill. After over 50 years of service to the industry, he is still keenly interested in agriculture, traveling the world to explore its crops, meet its people and renew old friendships.

Previous Chairman for Elevate Southwest. Russell has owned and operated Accurate Automotive Attention for over 30 years. The business has thrived with three locations throughout the Yuma area. He attended Rapport Leadership International’s leadership program and became a master's Graduate.

He graduated from Project CENTRL in 2003, a two-year rural leadership program administered by the University of Arizona. Russell served for 16 years (2005-2020) on the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, including several terms as Yuma County Board Chair and Vice-Chair.

Upon graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in Business Administration, Shelley became the 4th generation to follow in her family’s business, RL Jones Insurance. Shelley owns and operates the three locations of RL Jones Insurance & MVD Services.

Shelley serves in many state and local boards currently as Chair of the Southwest Arizona Town Hall, the Yuma Education Advocacy Council, Education Forward Arizona Board of Directors, Board of Trustees for the Foundation of Yuma Regional Medical Center, member of the Foundation of Yuma Regional Medical Center Pediatric Oncology Fund Committee, Yellow Ribbon-Suicide Awareness Committee, Arizona House of Representatives Teen Mental Health AD HOC Committee, Chair, Board Member and Governance Committee of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation, Board Member Arizona Business & Education Coalition, Yuma Union High School District Governing Board Member and many other important boards.

A resident of San Luis, Arizona, Marco “Tony” Reyes serves as Chairman of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors. Reyes attended the Gadsden Elementary School, and 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 the citizens of San Luis for many years including 10 years as Mayor. He also has served as 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.

President Jordan D. Joaquin was born and raised on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation. He is an enrolled member of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe. He began his work career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Wildland Firefighter in 1989. In 1990, he began his Law Enforcement career and after 28 years with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, he retired as a Sheriff’s Sergeant.

He served 2 terms as a council member from 2009-2010 and 2017-2018. In December 2018 he was first elected as Tribal President and would be later sworn into office in January 2019. President Joaquin was re-elected to his second four-year term in December 2022.

President Joaquin believes in building strong partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies is essential in achieving goals for all tribes and surrounding communities.

Greg LaVann, previously served as GYEDC’s Vice President and most recently as Interim CEO and President. Greg was selected by the GYEDC Board of Directors following a comprehensive national executive search process.

LaVann brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of economic development to his role, having dedicated 17 years to fostering growth and innovation within the Greater Yuma region.

LaVann extensive background in economic development, coupled with his proven leadership and commitment to the community, uniquely positions him to drive the organization’s mission forward.

Dr. Tanya Hodges leads the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture. YCEDA is a public-private partnership launched in 2014 to provide fast-track solutions to high-priority issues identified by the desert agricultural industry, including increasing production efficiencies through disease and water management, maximizing crop yield and food safety, and developing new technology. A Yuma native, Hodges' family roots in Yuma County extend six generations. 

Dr. Hodges earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education in agricultural education from UArizona, graduating from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. She would then earn her Doctor of Education in Innovation and Leadership from Arizona State University. Tanya lectures for the university, teaching upper-level agricultural systems management and plant sciences courses.