Andy Horne
Imperial Irrigation District

Leading with high standards and commitment to quality, Andy Horne serves as Director for the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), Division 1, overseeing its jurisdiction spanning from El Centro through part of Calexico.

Most recently re-elected to a second term on
the Board of Directors, Horne was voted on to the IID Board in 1998. He served as the Board’s Vice-President in 2000, and as its President in 2001. In addition to his leadership roles, Horne also lends his guidance serving on the IID’s Energy and Information Technology committees. Demonstrating his belief in community servitude, he also participates on the Boards of an array of vital community organizations including the Colorado River Water User’s Association; the Southern California Water Committee; the California Farm Water Coalition; and provides his knowledge and experience as President of the Salton Sea Authority. Locally, Horne serves on the executive board of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation.

A life-long Imperial Valley resident, Horne graduated from Central Union High School in El Centro, and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California at Riverside. Presently, Horne maintains a management role with the Niel Horne Real Estate firm in El Centro, where he worked as a real estate broker prior to his election to the Board.

Driven with commitment as an active member of his community, Horne is a current member and former president of The El Centro Chamber of Commerce; the El Centro Rotary Club; and the Imperial Valley Board of Realtors; as well as having served as a trustee for the McCabe Union School District from 1987 to 1991. Residing in rural El Centro, Horne is married, with three adult children.

Marion Ashley
Supervisor, Riverside County

Marion Ashley is a member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, representing Riverside CountyÎs 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 Californiaâs ãMotte Rimrock Reserveä 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.


Corky Larson
Coachella Valley Water District

Patricia "Corky" Larson first was elected to CVWD's Board of Directors in 2000. She was reelected four years later and selected as board vice president in 2005. Her term expires in 2008. The holder of a bachelor's degree from UCLA and juris doctor degree has a distinguished public service career. Corky represented the fourth district, including Coachella Valley, serving as a member of Riverside County Board of Supervisors for three terms.

She was executive director of Coachella Valley Association of Governments for eight years. Most recently she was city attorney and interim city manager for Desert Hot Springs.

The Larson Justice Center in Indio is named in her honor.

The 1998 Woman of the Year in the 37th state Senate District also served two terms as a member of the Palm Springs Unified School District Board of Directors, is one of CVWD's two representatives on the Salton Sea Authority Board of Directors, and was on the Bureau of Land Management's California Desert District Advisory Council and Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission. Self-employed in the family farming business from 1954 to 1989, she was a founding member of the California Women For Agriculture and American Agriwomen.



Larry Grogan
Imperial County Board of Supervisors


After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps., Larry worked in the personnel finance field for San Diego Gas & Electric. He specialized in community and development plans, such as Horton Plaza and is Chairman of Dells and Industrial Redevelopment Project.

Later assigned to energy development, Larry was instrumental in the development of the policies and guidelines for geothermal development in Imperial County.

After working for several major oil and geothermal companies, international and domestic, he now does consulting and owns several businesses.

Stella A. Mendoza
Imperial Irrigation District

Stella A. Mendoza serves as the Imperial Irrigation District Director (IID) representing Division 4. Winning the seat in the November 2000 General Election, Mendoza made history as the first woman to be voted in on the IID Board of Directors.


As a former City Councilwoman and Mayor of Brawley, Mendoza currently serves as Vice President of the Women’s Community Club; is an active member of the Brawley Lion’s Club; the Soroptimists Club of Brawley; as well as the Brawley Elks. Presently, she also lends her leadership and experience to the Calipatria State Prison Citizen’s Advisory Committee, serving as its Vice Chairwoman.

Residing in her native city of Brawley, Mendoza earned an Associate in Arts Degree from Imperial Valley College. Mrs. Mendoza has been married to her husband, Ernie, for 29 years and has three sons.


Peter G. Nelson
Coachella Valley Water District

Sworn in as a member of the Coachella Valley Water District’s (CVWD) Board of Directors in June of 2000, Nelson was initially appointed to complete the term held by Dorothy Nichols, resulting in his winning the seat with 74% of the popular vote. Elected as Vice President of the CVWD in

2001, Nelson also served as the CVWD’s representative to the Salton Sea Authority (SSA), where he was voted in as Secretary of the SSA in 2002.

Having served as Director of the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District from 1989-1996, Nelson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business, graduating from California State University at Fresno. Residing in the Coachella Valley since 1987, Nelson manages the production of citrus, table grapes, and dates in the Coachella Valley for a variety of firms. With a passion for community involvement, Nelson lends his leadership as Director the of St. Andrew Community Church in Indio, has been involved in youth sports programs, and considers himself to be an avid activist for the community.


Roy Wilson
Supervisor, Riverside County

Roy Wilson is Supervisor of the Fourth Supervisorial District in Riverside County. He was first elected to represent the 4th District in 1994 and was reelected in 1998 and 2002. 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 14 years as a governing board member for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, 22 years on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and 7 years on the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District. He currently serves as President of the Salton Sea Authority and is past Chairman of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and 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 fifth 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 and fifth editions by a co-author, his brother, a professor of Mass Communications 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

Representing northern Imperial County, Gary Wyatt is currently rounding his first term as County Supervisor for District 4. Developing a viable and permanent ecologically sound solution for the Salton Sea remains a top priority while he presently serves as Vice

Chairman of the Salton Sea Authority. He also acts as the representative from the Imperial County Board of Supervisors for the recently formed State Advisory Committee on the Salton Sea.

Gary has been heartily committed to making a difference in Imperial County communities since 1990, establishing himself with the Sheriff's Department as the supervisor of the Crime Prevention Unit. Providing leadership and guidance for the department, his duties included serving as the liaison for Volunteer Services; Community and Public Relations; the Special Projects Coordinator; and as the Director of Crime Stoppers, Inc. Gary also served on numerous committees such as the California Rural Crime Prevention Task Force; the Red Ribbon Coalition; and the California Crime Prevention Officers Association. As a result of his hard work and diligence, he was recognized as “Employee of the Year” and was a member of the unit recognized as the “Crime Prevention Unit of the Year” by the State of California.

Committed to community and public service, Gary has served on the Brawley Union High School Board of Trustees; is currently a member of the Rotary Club; the Brawley Chamber of Commerce; the Navy League; the I.V. Football Officials and the I.V. Basketball Officials; along with numerous other organizations. He is also an active member of the Board of Directors of the California State Association of Counties; the Regional Council of Rural Counties; the National Association of Counties; the Mental Health Advisory Board of Directors; as well as the newly formed Socio-Economic Improvement Committee.

Residing in the city of Brawley, Gary has been married to Dorothy Elaine Wyatt for 30 years and has 2 children, Kari and Jeremy. He graduated from Brawley Union High School, attended Imperial Valley College, Southern California College, and Berean College.


Al Loya
Council Member, Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians

Alfonso “Al” Loya serves as a Tribal Council Member for the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. Loya was elected into office in January of 2003 for a two year term with the area tribe.


Joe Loya
Council Member, Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians

The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians have played an integral part in the decision making process at the Salton Sea as a great deal of land in the area belongs to the tribe. Al Loya is familiar with the people and the land - past and present - and it is a natural fit to share in the future planning of the Salton Sea.

When not attending meetings and tribal business, Loya stays involved in outdoor sporting activities. But his strongest desire is to continue to serve the tribe and see the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians thrive along with looking to best possible interests for the preservation of the Salton Sea and its habitat.



Salton Sea Authority Ex-Officio Members

Coachella Valley Association of Governments
Imperial Valley Association of Governments
California Resources Agency
California Department of Fish and Game

[Back to Top of Page]

Copyright 2003 Salton Sea Authority - All Rights Reserved