Office of Tourism director Lisa Urias has resigned from her position following lawmakers’ requests to investigate a contract apparently benefitting those close to her company.
Under Urias, the state spent $700,000 in federal pandemic relief funding on a redesign of the state logo. Part of those funds, approximately $28,000, went to Heart & Soul Marketing, who hired the brother to the CEO of Urias’ company, Urias Communications.
The CEO of Urias’ firm is Jason Coochwytewa, a member of the Grand Canyon Conservancy board. His brother, Kevin Coochwytewa, is the designer for the state logo under Heart & Soul Marketing and has previously had Urias Communications as a customer.
The Office of Tourism communications director, Josh Coddington, revealed in remarks to the media that it was Urias who advocated for Coochwytewa to be hired by Heart & Soul Marketing for the state’s rebrand project.
Urias issued a statement denying that she or her company benefited financially from contracts awarded by her office.
“Urias Communications nor I have ever financially benefited from any Arizona Office of Tourism contracts since I took a position with the State of Arizona,” said Urias.
Following reporting on this contract, State Representative Teresa Martinez sent a letter Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell asking for an investigation into Urias for conflicts of interest.
Former governor Doug Ducey’s executive aide, Dan Coulson, accused Urias of treating her position as a “taxpayer-funded ATM” to get rich.
https://twitter.com/DanCoulsonAZ/status/1859642415847702843
The $700,000 redesign contract was funded entirely from federal pandemic relief funding. Comparatively, the former branding developed by Ducey’s administration cost about $250,000. The price disparity came from the tourism office’s “radically inclusive listening tour” across the state: in-person and digital listening sessions with over 2,000 people spanning almost 60 different areas within the state and the tribal nations.
Contentions also remain over the lawfulness of Urias’ appointment to the role. Governor Katie Hobbs nominated Urias within a month of taking office last year, but Urias never received confirmation from the Arizona legislature.
Hobbs withdrew Urias and a slew of her other nominees last September from the Senate nomination process, citing frustrations with Republicans’ unwillingness to accept her picks.
At the time Hobbs withdrew Urias and others, Senate President Warren Petersen warned that the legality of unconfirmed directors opened up the state to lawsuits.
“The law is very specific on who is to run our state agencies,” said Petersen. “Without directors fulfilling these obligations, the legality of every decision made by these state agencies is dubious, and litigation against the state would surely prevail.”
Though Hobbs had fought with the GOP-led state legislature to confirm Urias and others, Hobbs attempted to distance herself from Urias on Friday in a press conference. No word was given on who would take over for Urias.
“I can say as a social worker, I take my role as a public servant very seriously and anyone who has the privilege of serving the public needs to be above reproach,” said Hobbs. “This appearance of conflict is not acceptable.”
The new logo is part of the rebranding project launched after Urias took over: “Discovering Arizona: Finding the Future of Arizona’s Story,” with the tagline “Vibrant Arizona.” In designing the new logo, Urias said she and her team prioritized symbolisms representing the state’s 22 tribes, citing their status as “the foundation of Arizona.”
Other reports also claimed that Urias Communications received a $250,000 contract with the Arizona Department of Education for its Office of Indian Affairs. Superintendent Tom Horne clarified that no such contract was approved, but that state records on file reflecting a proposed $250,000 contract was an unapproved ”competition impractical” document. ADE only entered into a $15,000 contract for separate planning services.
DOGE needs to come to Arizona
Coochwytewa, ….. would you like to buy another vowel
Looks like another politician got caught with her hands in the cookie jar. She used US tax dollars provided for covid relief to fund a new state logo. Perhaps she thought the old logo was infected? I believe using tax dollars for a purpose for which they were not appropriated is a violation of US and Arizona law.
The perks of being a politician: stealing other peoples money, and not being held accountable.
The video is typical ad-agency BS, lacking an understanding of the word “branding.” It is beautifully photographed and slickly produced, but the copy is ridiculously shallow. I was in the business and saw this exact execution about a million times. Watch it, wait five minutes and ask yourself if you remember a single line. Also, the logo at the end is not the one I’ve seen in other versions of the controversy. That flushing sound you hear in your mind is federal tax dollars at “work”.
Gee, its amazing isn’t it when a rock is moved and a little sunshine is provided to the dark. This woman should be investigated for giving away our tax money but never will. However her resignation is good enough at this point.
AZ GOP will do nothing like they always do. The AZ GOP will actually say they are powerless until election time comes.
First she is improperly appointed, then she lies, then steps down! If not true, why step down?? And again, how is this even slightly related to Pandemic Relief Funds? Just another crooked, conniving member of Hobbs circle!! All of them should be thrown out with the garbage.
Exactly.
$700,000 of pandemic relief money to redesign our state’s logo? Are these people crazy or simply incompetent and wasteful with taxpayer money/. Disgusting.
To answer your question, YES.
This appointment stinks and shows the crony-ism Arizonans and other Americans can’t stand. Ripping off the taxpayer to line one’s pockets is just “business as usual” for the leftists/marxists Human filth!
And BTW, it certainly would be welcome if our legislators would start overriding any of the vetoes made by the occupant of the governor’s office. As far as I know, the R’s -do- have a majority.