Gov. Katie Hobbs fired the Arizona-Mexico Commission board 5 months ago. She has yet to replace it

Leer en español

Five months after Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs fired the entire board leading the Arizona-Mexico Commission, she has yet to name a single person to fill any of those vacancies.

The Governor's Office insists progress is happening. Interviews of applicants for the board were completed Friday, according to Hobbs' spokesperson Christian Slater, and "the governor will begin reviewing recommendations from the selection committee in the coming weeks."

Slater said Hobbs has continued to build her own relationships with leaders in Sonora, the Mexican state that borders Arizona, and Mexico as a whole, citing numerous visits between officials in both countries in recent months.

But two former members of the commission board shared criticism about the time it has taken to put new people in place.

"It's a missed opportunity for collaboration at the highest levels between the private sector and public sector members of the commission, and their public and private sector counterparts in Sonora, in Mexico City and other areas," said Russell Jones, a former state representative from Yuma whose family business is freight logistics at the border. Jones served on the commission nearly four decades.

He said he reapplied for his post after his dismissal in February, but never heard from the Governor's Office. An Arizona Republic reporter told him Monday interviews were completed. "At least now I know I can move on," he said. "I wish them every success going forward."

More: Gov. Hobbs speaks on border, dismissal of commission members in trip to Yuma area

Slater said Hobbs had proven in the last five months that she is committed to "rebuilding Arizona's relationship with Mexico and ensuring there is cross-border cooperation" outside of the reshaping the commission.

Those accomplishments included the launch of an electric truck pilot program, a collaborative tourism pledge and working with Alfonso Durazo, the governor of Sonora, at the end of Title 42, a pandemic health policy that allowed the U.S. to turn away more migrants at the border. Slater also cited Hobbs' appearance at a groundbreaking ceremony last month at the expanded San Luis I Land Port of Entry, but he didn't respond to a follow-up about what role Arizona played in the port expansion, which was a federally funded project.

"She is moving full steam ahead on exciting work with our partners across the border and looks forward to continuing the productive relationship she's built with Gov. Durazo and the Mexican government," Slater said.

Slater did not answer questions about how many people applied or provide the names of the selection committee that will assist in picking board members. At least one person on the selection committee, former Democratic state lawmaker Alfredo Gutierrez, declined to comment, saying it was premature to do so. Slater said there was no timeline for re-appointing board members, and declined to speak about specific applicants, including Jones.

Dismissal of board came as a surprise

The Democratic governor's house cleaning of the 31-member commission board — done by surprise and via a Friday afternoon email in February — sent shockwaves through the business community in Arizona. The commission, which has existed in some form for more than six decades, is a way that Arizona leaders and business representatives meet to exchange ideas to advance economic growth and find solutions to shared problems with Sonora, the Mexican state that borders Arizona, and Mexico as a whole.

Amid confusion over the governor's plans for the board, The Republic on March 3 requested public records that could illuminate how top staffers in Hobbs' administration discussed the commission and its future. Communications between elected officials are available to the public under Arizona Public Records Law. The Hobbs administration has not provided any response, however, and Slater did not answer a question about what caused the five-month delay.

The work-in-progress nature of the board under Hobbs' administration extends to its website, which was scrubbed of most information, though committees and staff continue their work.

Keep reading: Why did Gov. Katie Hobbs ax the members of the Arizona-Mexico Commission?

The turnover on the commission is likely to reflect a shift in perspective on how to handle border issues, just as Hobbs' humanitarian approach has differed from the strict border security goals of her Republican predecessor, Doug Ducey.

That's drawn some newcomers to apply, including Jim Pederson, the former head of the Arizona Democratic Party and founder of Pederson Group Inc., the shopping center developer.

"It's so important not only economically but also culturally and relationship-wise that we improve our standing and our relationship with Mexico," Pederson said. "The previous president vilified both Mexicans and Mexico when he was president. We need to get beyond that. Hopefully, the commission, representing the governor, can take a leadership role in that."

And while Hobbs says progress has happened with relationships with Mexican leadership, one former board member questioned that.

“I think we had great momentum, it’s just hard to see that momentum stalled out for the moment," said Jonathan Lines, a Republican Yuma County supervisor and former member of the commission. Lines reapplied for his seat on the board but said the Governor's Office did not contact him about moving forward with an interview.

Lines said he worried about relationships deteriorating while the board has been vacant, but said he didn't fault Hobbs for putting her signature on a group previously stacked with Ducey appointees.

"That’s her prerogative," he said. "Hopefully we have people who want to be engaged to solve the complex challenges that confront us right now," he said, naming fentanyl and human trafficking among those issues.

Another notable departure from the board is David Adame, president and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa, a leading organization advocating for Hispanic communities. Adame withdrew his name from consideration "to focus his time in other matters at hand," a spokesperson said.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona-Mexico Commission board still empty after Hobbs' mass firing