8/9/2019 Idaho Statesman April 15 2011 Profile of Josh D. Tewalt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/idaho-statesman-april-15-2011-profile-of-josh-d-tewalt 1/4

[Vision2020] In Otter's Idaho, Three DUIs =

Success w/ $8, 200 !o"ern#ent o% && o

De(ree eededSaundra )und v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm Fri Apr 15 23:17:59 PDT 2011 

• Previous message: [Vision2020] WHERE'S THE EE!"

•  #e$t message: [Vision2020] %egaloa& mo&ule is a megamess

• *essa(es sorted %+ [ &ate ] [ trea& ] [ su()e*t ] [ autor ] 

New deputy chief of the Idaho Bureau of Prisons rebounded from three arrests

of his own

Josh Tewalt is Gov. Butch Otter's comebac id.

B! "#N POP$%! & dpopey at idahostatesman.com 

Published ()*+,*++

Bad -udment and bad timin miht have ended Josh Tewalt's career in

overnment.

In /arch 0((,1 less than a month after another member of Butch Otter's

ubernatorial campain staff was arrested for "2I and 3uit1 Tewalt wrecedon Idaho ,0 and was chared with drivin under the influence.

4e had spent four years on Otter's conressional staff1 and he immediately

resined.

5I -ust didn't want to be a distraction15 Tewalt recalled this wee. 5I

didn't want to be part of that story.5

Tewalt's "2I arrest & the second of three between 0((0 and 0((6 & wasn't

connected to Otter1 who won his first term as overnor in 0((6.

But Tewalt's promisin career was in ruins.

5!ou thin it's over1 you thin you're done15 Tewalt said.

7P#8$9ING !O2NG /#N

In +::;1 Tewalt raduated from /eridian 4ih1 where his mom1 <onnie1 is a

secretary. /eridian had the biest ==# chapter in Idaho and Tewalt became

state president.

# champion in solderin copper pipe1 he also raised sheep for show and loved

8/9/2019 Idaho Statesman April 15 2011 Profile of Josh D. Tewalt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/idaho-statesman-april-15-2011-profile-of-josh-d-tewalt 2/4

politics. Thouh modest in manner1 he's 6&foot&+ and a flashy dresser1 iven

to briht ties and alliator cowboy boots. 5I have a membership in the

pastel emporium15 he -oes.

Tewalt cauht then&Gov. "ir $empthorne's eye in +:::1 a stroe of luc that

prompted him to abandon his plans to wor the raveyard shift and attend

Boise 7tate by day.

$empthorne was sinin an ==# proclamation and ased Tewalt to introduce him

to a crowd so lare the event moved from the overnor's office to the

rotunda.

54e came in with his blue corduroy -acet and -ust had a tremendous

presence15 $empthorne remembered. 5I thouht1 boy1 here's a youn man with a

sparle in his eye who steps riht up and taes chare.5

#fter receivin a than&you note from Tewalt1 $empthorne ased for a resume.

%schewin an offer from /icron1 Tewalt -oined $empthorne as an intern at >?(

a day. 4e later became a staff assistant for ariculture and education1

orani@in proclamations and doin some writin.

Brian Ahitloc1 a top $empthorne staffer1 said Tewalt had a nac for

capturin the overnor's voice. 5I tried to help fols understand that you

could learn a lot by listenin. Josh too that counsel to heart.5

ON OTT%8'7 T%#/

In #pril 0((+1 Tewalt became 8ep. Otter's field representative in 7outhwest

Idaho for aricultural and natural resources.

4e traveled the district with and without Otter and staffed the conressman

on two trips to <uba.

#fter hirin Tewalt1 Otter discovered Tewalt's maternal randparents1 /erle

and 9averne 4ansen1 were his boyhood )&4 leaders.

5There's a connection there15 Otter said. 54e's a farm id1 rural id1 )&4

id1 wors hard.5

Otter still belons to the /aple Grove Grane where /erle 4ansen is a

member.

5Josh shined15 recalled Otter of Tewalt's wor on the conressional staff.

5It had an awful lot to do with his bacround1 his understandin of the

culture I was dealin with.5

!et Tewalt was sufferin1 fihtin personal problems. 5I loved my -ob15 he

said1 5but everythin else was ind of fallin down around me.5

4e ot his first "2I in /eridian in 0((0. 4is boss in Otter's office told

him it couldn't happen aain. Ahen it did1 he new he had to o.

P#!ING T4% P8I<%

Gem <ounty amended the 0((, chare to inattentive drivin. Tewalt spent 0(

days in -ail1 +( on wor&release and +( picin up roadside trash.

8/9/2019 Idaho Statesman April 15 2011 Profile of Josh D. Tewalt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/idaho-statesman-april-15-2011-profile-of-josh-d-tewalt 3/4

4e wored for his dad1 "ave1 who owns a two&man plumbin outfit1 and focused

on raisin show sheep at his randdad's +6&acre farm on the south side of

/eridian.

Tewalt ot his last "2I in =ebruary 0((6 in Boise1 spendin another day in

-ail and +) days collectin trash.

4e cauht a brea a few months later when 9loyd $niht1 a friend who ran the

Idaho <attle #ssociation1 hired him. Tewalt later succeeded $niht as

eecutive vice president and orani@ed the first of what have become annual

trail rides led by Otter.

5!ou et another shot and you wor that much harder15 Tewalt said. 5In every

one of those instances1 I broe confidences1 I violated the trust people had

in me. !ou -ust have to wor that much harder to repair it1 to not do it

aain.5

Tewalt said his breathrouh was ownin up. 5I 3uit bein a victim 'They

were mean to me. They really came after me. I'm a ood person. "on't they

now I'm a nice uyC'

5I reached the conclusion & with a lot of help & that there wasn't a sinle

thin that happened to me that I didn't invite.5

B#<$ IN T4% =O9"

In 0((;1 Otter's budet chief1 Aayne 4ammon1 was looin to hire two

analysts. Thouh Tewalt didn't have a collee deree1 4ammon lied his

savvy.

54e understands the political process1 how committees wor1 who chairmen are

and what power they have or don't have15 4ammon said. 57ometimes1 my numbers

people don't et that. Josh understands that loic isn't always necessarily

the trump card.5

4ammon didn't hire Tewalt without a tal about alcohol. 54e made me a

promise that it wasn't ever oin to be a problem aain. #nd I believe him.5

Tewalt wored on -uvenile and adult corrections1 where he 3uicly impressed

manaers by attendin reular staff meetins and conveyin what miht or

miht not fly with Otter.

# P8O/OTION

"epartment of <orrection "irector Brent 8eine and Operations "ivision <hief

$evin $empf were so impressed with Tewalt they hired him away. 9ast wee1 he

started his new -ob at >;?10((1 -ust before his ?+st birthday.

8eine had attended Tewalt's 0((: weddin to <hanel Ailson1 which was

officiated by Otter at the overnor's ranch in 7tar. 8eine admired Tewalt's

wor ethic and the chemistry he built with staff. 4e was looin for an

outsider to sharpen the department.

5I need chane aents that can loo at practices and see thins that I'm

blind to15 8eine said.

8eine wasn't put off by Tewalt's lac of a dereeD 8eine doesn't have one

8/9/2019 Idaho Statesman April 15 2011 Profile of Josh D. Tewalt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/idaho-statesman-april-15-2011-profile-of-josh-d-tewalt 4/4

either. 5Ae see in him the raw material that we lie to brin up and have

him learn our system and challene our practices.5

Tewalt's connection with Otter doesn't hurt.

5It's ood to now the overnor and it's ood to understand his values15

8eine said.

"espite his success1 Tewalt would have preferred a more conventional path1

sayin1 5I don't thin I should be celebrated for overcomin obstacles I put

in my own way.5

"an Popey ?EE&6)?;

8ead more

http**www.idahostatesman.com*0(++*()*+,*+6(6?(:*ov&otters&comebac&id.htm

lCstorylinFaddthisi@@+Jf"3/HoB