Senator says he didn't back son for Kanab job

A state senator whose son was hired to direct a southwestern Utah economic development effort — at $80,000 a year through a legislative-funded grant — says he actually supported someone else for the job.

Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, said: "I had no idea, I never dreamed" that his son Kelly Stowell, 26, would apply for the job when Sen. Stowell supported a $125,000 grant that pays the top post's salary. The grant, funded by the 2008 Legislature, goes to the Center for Education, Business and the Arts, located in Kanab. Kanab is part of Sen. Stowell's district.

In fact, said Sen. Stowell, he had already written a letter of support for a Cedar City economic development professional, "with 25 years of experience," who was applying for the CEBA executive director's job before he found out that his son was going to apply for the same job this summer.

"It put me in a difficult position. What is a father supposed to do?" said the senator. "I had to call (the Cedar City person) and tell her that my son was applying for the same job. I just stayed silent on the whole thing after that. I worried that we could be accused of nepotism."

And the Stowells and the CEBA board are being accused of just that.

Jeff Zander says that he also applied for the job, which pays $80,000 for one year only, with incentives that could equal another $20,000. (The job contract is for just 12 months, but the executive director also fundraises, and could raise money for his own continued salary.)

In an e-mail to the Deseret News, Zander says he has the academic and professional qualifications that a job like running the CEBA should require — qualifications Kelly Stowell does not have.

In addition, an online story in The Spectrum, a St. George newspaper, about Kelly Stowell's appointment has a reader comment attached that says Kelly Stowell got the job because of his father's political influence.

Zander says there are simple standards for economic development jobs, which include an appropriate university degree, previous experience in the field and certification by an international professional organization.

Zander said he found it odd that the CEBA job advertisement, listed on the Dixie College site, had no qualifications listed when he viewed it — while all other Dixie job openings did.

"You would think CEBA would be looking to hire as its very first executive director someone with professional economic development credentials, especially for the price tag of $100,000 for the first year's salary. In Kanab, Utah, that money is nothing to sneeze at," said Zander.

Sen. Stowell said he, too, was a bit surprised when the CEBA board did not pick the Cedar City person he recommended. "I had heard that she was first after the first round of interviews." And the senator said that he was also surprised when his son told him that CEBA officials had asked him to send in a resume and apply for the job.

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