I’d been working for The Dominion Post as a copy editor for roughly six months when Randy Vealey, the former opinion editor, announced his retirement. Viewing it as a “why not?” kind of opportunity, I threw my hat in the ring, fully expecting nothing to come of it. But Pam Queen saw something in me and gave me the job.
Since March 1, 2020, I’ve had the privilege to serve as The Dominion Post’s opinion editor and editorial writer. When the newspaper’s sale to Ogden is complete on Oct. 1, my tenure in this position will end.
Being the “voice” of The Dominion Post has been one of my most satisfying challenges — taking the disparate perspectives of our editorial board members and turning them into a coherent, cohesive editorial that fit within the constraints of our page. Some days the words flowed effortlessly; others, I had to dig deep to find the right ones. Sometimes, I was writing something with which I didn’t wholly agree; sometimes, the board trusted me enough to set me lose with few conditions. But always, I believed in the important work we were doing.
The job hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always felt like my own small way to contribute to our community — to make a difference, hopefully for the better.
I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues at The Dominion Post. I couldn’t have done my job without them, especially the reporters, whom I often peppered with questions, and Patricia and Emmalie, who called to confirm the letters to the editor. A special thanks to everyone I have worked with on the editorial board, including Adam Raese, Pam Queen, Dave Raese and, most recently, Brad Pennington and Jessica Bellino.
I must also thank my family and best friend for all their support.
And none of this would be possible without you, our readers. I have appreciated all your feedback — from compliments to constructive criticism to not-so-constructive criticism. Even if we don’t agree, I’m still grateful to you for reading.
I won’t say goodbye — just “talk to you later.” I will no longer be working for The Dominion Post, but I plan to continue offering commentary and analysis on local, state and national issues from my own website: jnelsonwriter.com. I hope you’ll join me there.
