Jason Stevenson is a community leader with 20 years of experience leaving things better than he found them.
Jason currently works for the ACLU of Utah, where he directs the organization's communications strategy while also developing smarter policies for law enforcement, homelessness, and privacy and technology. Previously, Jason worked at the Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP), where he guided the launch of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Utah, strategized for Medicaid Expansion, and developed a statewide reputation as an expert on healthcare policy. While at UHPP he gave more than 240 public presentations and was interviewed for hundreds of TV, radio, and newspaper articles about health reform.
In the community, Jason co-chairs the East Liberty Park Community Organization, (ELPCO), an open and trusted forum that identifies, discusses, and resolves complex concerns for a community of 4,000 households in Salt Lake City. At ELPCO, Jason facilitated the contentious town hall meetings on 9th and 9th development, transit and street reconstruction projects, and The Inn Between hospice for the homeless
Prior to working in nonprofits, Jason served as an associate editor at Backpacker where he was part of the editorial team that won a National Magazine Award for "General Excellence" in 2008 and received another nomination in 2009. He got his start in journalism as an intern and assistant editor at Outside, and also worked for several publications in Washington, D.C. Before becoming a writer, Jason worked for three years as an economic development consultant at a nonprofit focused on rebuilding urban communities.
Outdoor recreation has been a part of Jason's life since he was a Boy Scout growing up in Ohio. His second book, Outdoor Adventure Guide: Backpacking and Hiking was published in June 2020. It is an new and updated version of his first book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking (Alpha), which was published in April 2010 and has sold more than 12,000 copies.
Jason lives in the East Liberty Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Jackie, a family physician, and their three children and two Australian cattle dogs.