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A year after he resigned in the wake of a prostitution sting, a former Southern Utah University administrator will return to the Cedar City campus in a new role as director of regional services.

Wesley Curtis, the one-time vice president for government relations and regional service, was among 50 candidates to apply for this post, and was picked as a finalist by a search committee.

"Wes is to be commended for working hard to make things right with his family, his friends, and his work associates. We are pleased to once again be able to avail ourselves of his considerable talents," said a news release quoting SUU President Michael Benson, who made the decision to re-hire Curtis.

Curtis, 59, was among eight people arrested at a Cedar City motel in December 2010 where an undercover officer posed as a prostitute and negotiated with men to exchange money for sex. He later resigned, then pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor of solicitation. He was fined $623 and ordered to pay restitution.

"I believe in second chances, and know that Wes has paid a significant price professionally and personally," Benson said. "I am confident Wes Curtis has done all that could be expected of him as he has made amends for his past mistakes."

In this new position, Curtis directs off-campus outreach programs, including Rural Health, Head Start, the Business Resource Center and economic development partnerships within the university's five-county service area.