I’ve been with FREE for nearly five years, first as its research associate and lately as its publications and program coordinator. In the time I’ve been here, a lot of people have moved to Bozeman; unfortunately, it’s time for me to move on.

I came here in February of 2002 from the other end of the Louisiana Purchase: New Orleans. While it was interesting, with plenty of charming architecture and less than charming denizens, and I’m glad to have lived in the South for a time, I was eager to leave the heat and humidity (a popular Bourbon Street T-shirt: “It’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity”) to return to the Mountain West.

Looking back, I’m not entirely sure how I came to choose the position at FREE, but it’s been a fascinating ride. I’ve met a lot of interesting people. (Not to brag but -- well, yes, to brag -- how often do you get to go hiking with a Nobel laureate and his wife, or drive a former U.S. attorney general to the airport, or rub elbows with Supreme Court candidates? And who’d have thought all this could happen in Bozeman, Montana?) I’ve begun to learn to fly fish (thanks, Pete) and improved my shooting skills (thank you, Brian). And I met the girl of my dreams, though it took a little persistence on her part. She’s now my wife. We met at my boss’s ranch in Gallatin Gateway, and thought it only appropriate to be married there.

Celine is also a fine art photographer with a strong interest in film. She grew up in Salt Lake City and the suburbs of Chicago; I grew up in the suburbs of San Francisco and Salt Lake City. While we both really enjoy Bozeman, we miss the mix of amenities offered by a larger city. And so we’re moving back to Salt Lake.

This may seem like an odd choice to many -- Salt Lake City is the closest we have to a theocracy in the United States -- but it holds a strange fascination for both of us. Although Salt Lake proper is “only” about 50 percent LDS, the state as a whole is 70 to 80 percent. The church plays a strong role in state politics, with an estimated 90 percent of legislators being Mormon. It is also expanding its physical presence in downtown Salt Lake, buying large chunks of property and preparing to build a campus of the BYU business school there, including student housing. The strong Mormon influence induces non-Mormons, “gentiles,” to assert their “gentility.” As a result, there are many vibrant subcultures: musical, artistic, culinary, religious, and others.

There are also Thai and Vietnamese and Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants. There is the Sundance Film Festival, where my wife will be working come mid-November, and the Salt Lake Film Society. There are the University of Utah, Westminster College, and Salt Lake Community College, with all their affiliated cultural, intellectual, and educational offerings. There are three professional theater companies, as well as a world-class symphony and ballet. The airport is the largest hub in the western U.S. And there are the Wasatch Mountains, with the best skiing in the world (yes, I’m partial).

There’s a lot we’ll miss about Bozeman. The friends we’ve made here. The familiarity that comes with a small community. A feeling of safety and low background stress. The opportunity to DJ at KGLT. But we’ll be back.

What all this means is that FREE is looking for my replacement. This person will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s publications and will work with our chairman and executive vice president on FREE’s conferences for federal judges, law professors, and environmental entrepreneurs. We’re looking for someone with strong editorial and graphic design skills; an interest in economics or free-market environmental ideas would be a plus. Please see our web site, www.free-eco.org, for a fuller description and how to apply.

Bozeman is in transition from a small, rural agricultural town to something quite different. Fortunately it’s blessed with an abundance of ideas on how best to proceed and plenty of active, concerned citizens. Here’s wishing you well for a bright future and minimal growing pains. I look forward to observing your progress.