Spokesman No. 9 for Rocky takes over

Perhaps the position of communications director in Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's office has nine lives. Or perhaps new-man-on-the-job Patrick Thronson has something that the previous eight holders of the position didn't have.

Thronson took over spokesman duties for Anderson on Tuesday, just in time for the mayor's State of the City speech. Duncan Moench, the previous spokesman, left Anderson's office to "get back to journalism," said Sam Guevara, chief of staff.

Moench holds a master's degree in journalism from New York University; he held the spokesman's job for roughly four months. By the Deseret Morning News' count, he is the 42nd employee to leave the mayor's office since Anderson took office in 2000. Moench did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.

He will finish the month on the city's payroll and use stored vacation time while still working as a consultant, Guevara said. Discussion of Moench's departure "came from both" Moench and Anderson, he added.

Anderson did not want to discuss Moench's exit but said Thronson is intended to hold the position permanently.

Thronson, a 24-year-old with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Harvard University, said he is comfortable taking on his new role. He's worked for the mayor since September as an assistant.

"I feel confident that I'll be here for a while," Thronson said. "I would like to be in this position until the end of the mayor's term" in 2007.

Thronson does not have history on his side — recent mouthpieces for the mayor haven't lasted long. Before Moench, stand-in Cliff Lyon held the position for roughly a month; Lyon volunteered for the job because Anderson fired Deeda Seed.

Seed, who had been a chief of staff and a councilwoman before taking over as spokeswoman, left after 17 months and a public falling out with Anderson. Before Seed, spokesmen Dave Jones and Josh Ewing left their jobs to start businesses; Ewing now runs a public relations firm in Salt Lake City. Other previous spokesmen include Ted Nguyen, Dave Owens and Phil Riesen.

Guevara, who helped hire Ewing, Seed and Moench, was impressed with Thronson's "go-getter" attitude, he said.

Yet, "I can't predict everything," Guevara said. "Everyone I helped bring in, I thought they'd be here forever."

---

E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com