Huntsman hirings, firings and deals detailed in reports

C. Hope Eccles and Tim Bridgewater were on Huntsman's education transition team, and Huntsman brought them into his office: Eccles overseeing higher education issues; Bridgewater on public education. The big difference is that they both served over the last months without pay, while Pignanelli and Michie are salaried state bosses.

The transition book also lists dozens of people who applied for top jobs with Huntsman — or who were seriously considered for some top jobs — but who ultimately were not picked.

For example, Rep. Dave Ure, R-Kamas, was recommended by two different transition teams for a top post. He got neither. Ure, a dairy farmer who has twice been a finalist in the race for House speaker, was on the short list to head both the Agriculture Department and the Department of Natural Resources.

Huntsman ultimately picked then-Sen. Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni, as agriculture commissioner and then-Rep. Mike Styler, R-Delta, to head the Department of Natural Resources.

Ure remains in the House where, as a member of the so-called conservative "Cowboy Caucus," he's opposed various initiatives (supported others) by Republican leadership. Ure was unavailable for comment.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard (a Republican) was considered for head of state corrections (then-acting director Scott Carver got the job). Also considered was 3rd Congressional District candidate Beau Babka (a Democrat and South Salt Lake police captain).

The thick transition book is a hodge-podge of notes, memos and evaluations. Huntsman spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi said while some of the transition teams, over a 40-day period late last year, gave detailed written reports — contained in the book — others gave verbal reports to Huntsman and his chief of staff, Jason Chaffetz; thus the sparsity of some transition team's reports.

Huntsman campaigned on, and came into office with, some of his own ideas of how the 21,000-employee, $8-billion-spending state government should be run.

The transition reports appear to reflect some of Huntsman's preconceived concerns. But in other areas it appears Huntsman is seriously considering the reports' outside recommendations.

Just after taking office in January, Huntsman gutted the state's Department of Community and Economic Development, firing 33 people and replacing most of the department's leaders. He's since moved economic development into his own office. The transition book shows that the team that studied that department had little faith in how it was being run.