WACOG dedicates Yuma building honoring former director Brian Babiars
A Yuma building now bears Brian Babiars’ name, marking more than 50 years of service and the reach of WACOG’s anti-poverty and aging work.
The Western Arizona Council of Governments gave Yuma a new landmark of memory and mission when it dedicated its building to Brian Babiars, the longtime former executive director known to many as Mr. B. The honor recognized a career that began in 1973 and stretched across more than five decades of public service in western Arizona.
The ceremony was held Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 1235 S. Redondo Center Drive in Yuma. Community members, elected officials, friends and family gathered to mark the dedication and to recognize the role WACOG has played in the region, often out of the public spotlight.
That reach is broad. WACOG says it serves low-income households in La Paz, Mohave and Yuma counties, and it is part of a national network of more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging. The organization says its work includes helping older adults live with independence and dignity in their homes and communities, a mission that touches seniors who want to stay housed, connected and safe as they age.
The building dedication also highlighted how much of Babiars’ influence was tied not just to one office, but to the relationships behind it. WACOG leaders said he helped shape the organization into what it is today by working with local elected officials and helping communities make decisions for residents across the region. In a county where many public services are stretched across long distances and limited budgets, those partnerships matter because they help connect regional planning to local needs.
Veronica Shorr, WACOG’s executive director, said the honor was meant to preserve that legacy and make sure the community understands the work happening behind the scenes. WACOG leadership also publicly thanked Babiars for decades of dedicated leadership, underscoring that the transition is being framed as continuity rather than rupture.
For Yuma County residents who rely on WACOG-linked services, the dedication points to something practical: a long-standing regional agency still focused on poverty reduction, aging services and community support. Naming the building for Babiars gives the county a visible reminder that some of the most important local work happens through steady, long-term service, not headlines.
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