"I'm excited," Shaw said Wednesday. "It's nice to be wanted."

South Jordan City Manager Ricky Horst said that unlike the capital, South Jordan is a growth city with a clean palette.

"We're delighted to have him," Horst said. "He's going to be the long-range guy that takes the vision and puts it in finite terms."

Shaw, who starts March 31, said he looks forward to shaping South Jordan's transit-oriented development near new commuter- and light-rail lines, along with the Daybreak Town Center.

Shaw said he always will have a soft spot for Salt Lake City, which he called "a city of destiny unlike any other in the world."

Having served as capital planning boss for little over a year, Shaw was released earlier this month as part of Becker's shake-up of the planning division. - Derek P. Jensen