Arias Named Director on Conservation Board

PALM DESERT – Indio resident and lifelong agriculturist Ruben Arias Jr. will join the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District board of directors.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez recommended Arias for the position. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors appointed him last week to fill a vacancy on the district board.

“Ruben Arias Jr. is a native of the Coachella Valley, and a fixture of the agricultural and local community,” Supervisor Perez said in a prepared statement. “He has the experience to be of great service to the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District and the community.”

Arias has been in agriculture all his life. Born in Indio, Arias was raised on a date and citrus ranch in Thermal. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Agriculture Biology and an option in economic entomology from California State University, Pomona.

His first job out of college was with the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner’s office in Indio as a regulator and educator in the safe application of pesticides. He worked for the county for 12 years. He worked five years in the date business, nine years with the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District and 20 years with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Arias also holds a Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. He retired from the CDFA Nursery, Seed and Cotton Program in December 2018.

In his spare time, Arias is a master gardener. He volunteers with the Coachella Valley Historical Society and documents the history of his pioneer family. In 2018, the Arias family celebrated its centennial anniversary of family heritage in the Coachella Valley.

“The Coachella Valley is unique to California,” Arias said in a prepared statement. “Being involved in agriculture in the Coachella Valley, it’s important to conserve our natural resources which include water, land, and wildlife. I look forward to supporting the staff and mission of the Resource Conservation District in finding innovative ways to serve the public.”

Arias resides in Indio with his wife, Carole.

The Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District is an independent special district that helps public and private land owners protect and conserve natural resources including soil and water. The agency provides support with resource conservation issues to farmers, desert habitat managers, homeowners, landscape nursery managers, golf course superintendents and municipal land managers. More information on the district can be found by clicking here.