Stuart head of statewide supervisors

Yuma County Supervisor Lenore Loroña Stuart has just assumed the presidency of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona.

The association brings together all 55 elected county supervisors from the state's 15 counties to work on the broader common goal of improving quality of life for their constituents. They meet at least monthly, more when the Legislature is in session.

Stuart said that as a supervisor, she looks for many ways to reach out and be helpful.

“We work together, we share ideas. Primarily we get together and share those ideas and learn from each other.”

All counties, from rural counties with small populations to the dense metropolitan centers that encompass Phoenix or Tucson, have commonalities such as employment, roads and generally keeping county money from being swept. Members also lobby with state and federal legislators.

Stuart was elected by her fellow county supervisors statewide. She served last year as president-elect, and after officially clinching local re-election this fall she was able to move into the top spot.

Stuart accepted the title Thursday at the Arizona Association of Counties annual convention in Phoenix. She replaces Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson as president. The presidency rotates among large, small and medium counties; Yuma is in the medium group.

Stuart, a Democrat in Yuma County's District 1, bested her Democratic competitors Agustin Tumbaga Jr. and Paulo Escalante in the primary election in August. Because there were no independent or other party candidates in the race, she was unopposed in the general election. She was first elected to the Yuma County Board of Supervisors in 2000.

Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@yumasun.com or 539-6857. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSHillaryDavis or on Twitter at @YSHillaryDavis.