TRACY — A Tracy resident was recently appointed to serve on a Minnesota state committee. On July 7, Jason Everson was named as one of four people statewide who were appointed by Gov. Tim Walz to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee.

“I am excited. This is an opportunity to make a difference,” Everson said Friday. He will be serving a four-year term on the committee.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee provides leadership and support for setting a vision for juvenile justice in Minnesota. The committee advises the governor and state Legislature about issues related to Minnesota’s juvenile justice system, develops plans for allocating resources, and promotes best practices in juvenile justice programs, the OJP said.

The committee is also responsible for Minnesota’s compliance with the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.

Everson is currently a Title IX investigator working in South Dakota, and he moved to Minnesota about a year and a half ago. He said he applied to be part of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee as a way to be active in his new home. “I wanted to get more involved with the community,” he said.

Everson said the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee also focused on a topic he cared about. Everson has a background in law enforcement – his first job after graduating from the University of South Dakota was as a juvenile corrections officer, and he has also served as a law enforcement officer in Rapid City and in Junction City, Kansas, before moving to more investigative work, he said. Last year, he completed a doctorate degree in psychology, Everson said.

Everson was appointed to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee along with three youth members, from Eagan, West St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Members of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee include representatives from nonprofits, government officials and administrators, people who provide resources for juveniles, and youth members, the OJP said.

Everson said he was looking forward to serving on the committee. He said he just got the news about the appointment on July 10, and is now waiting for more information on the committee’s meeting schedule and work.