Yuma, Arizona - Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has nominated Yuma Deputy Mayor Gary Knight to serve on the Arizona State Transportation Board. Members of the State Transportation Board work together to prioritize transportation needs, projects and funding on behalf of communities throughout the state.
Knight, who began his second term on the Yuma City Council in January, will serve on the seven-member panel upon confirmation by the state Senate.
He has served on multiple boards and committees directly related to transportation, including: the Executive Board of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO); the Rural Transportation Advocacy Council; Greater Yuma Port Authority Board of Directors, the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Committee and Legislative Affairs Committee. Additionally, Knight is the YMPO representative on the State Transportation Board.
Knight says he looks forward to working with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the other board members to improve transportation infrastructure in District 6 and throughout the state. "Yuma County only gets a seat on the Transportation Board every 18 years, and I am honored that the governor chose me to fill this position," Knight said.
Knight's public sector transportation experience is coupled with managing and owning a local boat dealership business. Prior to being a business owner, Knight served six years in the U.S. Navy, where he was a technician for shipboard communication and radar equipment. He is a Yuma native and a graduate of Arizona Western College.
City Administrator Greg Wilkinson says Knight's appointment is one additional way he can represent the State and the Yuma region to advance transportation needs and find solutions.
"His role as a member of the State Transportation Board will allow him to highlight some of the Yuma region's transportation concerns at the state level," Wilkinson said. "I have no doubt he will be a great advocate for the local community, region, and state as a whole in working with the board members and the Arizona Department of Transportation to promote the needs of the community, and to collaborate on new ideas and solutions."
The State Transportation Board has seven members who each serve six-year terms. In addition to advising the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, they have policy powers and duties. The board has broad authority to plan and develop Arizona’s highways, airports and other state transportation facilities. In addition to these general policy duties, the board is responsible for development and oversight of the state’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. For more information on the State Transportation Board, visit aztransportationboard.gov.