Jacalyn S. Leavitt

Founder and Chair

Mrs. Leavitt is the founder of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, having gathered a partnership of 50 first spouses and governors, attorneys general, law enforcement agencies, and associations to protect children from the growing threat of Internet predators.  With over 14 years of public service, Mrs. Leavitt served as Utah’s 14th First Lady for almost 11 years, from 1993 to 2003.  Improving the health and literacy rates of children and strengthening families are the trademarks of her public service.  She is the author of six children’s books, including Faux Paw the Techno Cat: Adventures in the Internet, and Faux Paw Meets the First Lady and she directs the development of the iKeepSafe Internet Safety Program.

Previously, Mrs. Leavitt developed the Read to Me Campaign for Utah, promoting the importance of having parents read to their children early and often.  She also developed the “Worth Remembering, Olympic Legacy Character Education Program” for students to reinforce core values demonstrated in the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.

Ms. Leavitt served as the Spouses’ Chair of the National Governors’ Association, successfully launching in the National Great Start Campaign to encourage smoking cessation among pregnant women, which was supported by first ladies across the country.  She also served for 11 years as Chair of Utah’s “Every Child by Two” Immunization Task Force, which earned the National Award for Most Improved State during her tenure, and continues to serve as Honorary Chair.  Mrs. Leavitt also previously served as Spokesperson for the Baby Watch, early intervention program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for which she raised awareness among parents about available health insurance coverage for uninsured children, helping to enroll more than 17,000 children.  With her husband, she also formed the Governor’s Commission on Marriage, the first state marriage commission in the nation.

A former school teacher, Mrs. Leavitt graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah State University in Speech Education and received her elementary teaching endorsement from Southern Utah University. Mrs. Leavitt is the mother of five children.