Cowell's departure opens hunt for special resumes
Published October 14, 2015
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Janet Cowell[/caption]
Editorial by Fayetteville Observer, October 14, 2015.
Janet Cowell's surprise departure from the State Treasurer's office opens the door to a key showdown on next year's ballots. We hope the election will be a match between classy professionals.
That's what we've got in Cowell, and we're sorry to see her go. Like her predecessor, Richard Moore, she has spent eight years making wise investment choices for the state's $90-billion pension fund and protecting the state's AAA credit rating - a distinction it shares with only 14 other states.
But people who can generate great returns on investment with other people's money - as she has with the state pension fund - can make millions in the private sector. On the state payroll, Cowell makes $124,676. She's earned a good raise, but that will leave a vacancy on the ballot.
And that contest is no place for political hacks. Resumes mean more than usual in the treasurer's race. Cowell's includes an MBA from the Wharton School. Moore's included a graduate diploma in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics. That's the kind of preparation a state treasurer needs these days. We hope both parties can produce candidates with that kind of background, as well as the political skills it takes to win an election and then keep a budget hawk's eye on our money.
