Jay Evensen is an editorial writer and columnist for the Deseret News. He has been a member of the editorial board for 17 years. Prior to that, he was reporter for the Deseret News, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and United Press International in New York City, covering a wide range of subjects from crime to politics. His weekly column on politics and social issues has won numerous local, regional and national awards. Jay Evensen graduated from Brigham Young University in 1983 with a B.A. In journalism and a minor in Scandinavian Studies. He was a fellow of the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism at the University of Maryland in 1992. His work was recognized with an award by the John Templeton Foundation in 2006 for the editorial treatment of human virtue and its importance in the life of our society and country. His employer nominated him for a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for a series of editorials on drunken driving. Jay is a member of the SDX Foundation Board, an arm of the Society of Professional Journalists. He served six years on the national governing board of SPJ. He also is a member of the National Conference of Editorial Writers. He lives in South Jordan, Utah, with Kirsti, his wife of 28 years. They have five children and two grandchildren.