Meet Joe Needham: downtown advocate, bicyclist, diamond merchant

By Christy Jensen

April 19, 2007 | LOGAN -- He started working at 13, bought his first house at 15, ran for City Council at 27, and won.

Logan's own Joe Needham isn't just ambitious about changing Logan, he is serious. Needham, partial owner of S.E. Needham Jewelers, is the youngest member of the Logan City Council at age 31.

Many people asked him why someone of his age would want to run for office.

Needham said, "There have always been a lot of issues in the downtown. The [city] government has quite frankly forgot about this downtown area for the past 30 years."

Needham has aimed to bring light to downtown issues since taking office. He also focuses on changing the quality of the roads, air and recently Logan's electrical power.

Needham, who was born and raised on Center Street with 11 brothers and sisters, began working at the family jewelry store at age 13 on the weekends and after school. Needham said he didn't go out to play like most kids but was happy he had money to spend because he had a job.

Needham briefly attended Utah State University to study art but finished his education at Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. Needham has become a part owner of his family business, which has been in Logan for more than 100 years.

Needham's knowledge of jewelry and politics has helped him sell legitimate diamonds to his customers. Some people have raised questions after "conflict diamonds" from Africa have surfaced in the jewelry world since 2000. The jewelry industry has begun using Kimberly letters that show the source of the diamond.

Needham said, "Only about 3 to 6 percent of diamonds are conflict diamonds.

"Diamond mines are like coal mines; they are very professional operations. . . . We expect to see Kimberly letters from our venders we buy from, which are mostly in Israel and Belgium, where some of the best diamonds come from."

Fashion and Needham's fascination with designs of all sorts aren't what keep him busy these days. It's jewelry, and mostly wedding rings. The most popular of his rings is the "350 Z" that he designed after his car, a Nissan 350 Z sports car.

He doesn't consider himself a car guy, naming his eight bicycles and Italian Vespa scooter as his favorite cars. Needham says that he is "obsessed with convenience" and likes the convenience factor of living on Center street and Logan.

"You can ride your bike for five minutes and be out of Logan."

Said Needham, "It is a great quality that most people over look. I love riding my bike in Logan because it is convenient and easy."

Needham doesn't see himself running for major any time soon but will run for another four years on the council to help oversee some of the changes he has helped bring about. These include the advancement that Logan City is making toward renewable energy and road expansion. Needham is also looking into making Logan a more bike- friendly town, providing bike lanes for the streets and making it safer for people to ride.

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