Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau hires Luzardo to manage the North Star Catholic

The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau welcomes Jay Luzardo as its new communications specialist and editor of the North Star Catholic.

“Alaska is huge, and each region is special in its own way,” he said. “I hope I can manage to consistently share stories for each region so we can fully understand how special this Catholic community truly is.”

Luzardo, 25, of Anchorage, joins the chancery staff with a history of communications work and a multitude of journalism awards.

Before joining the archdiocese, Luzardo was a digital reporter and producer for Alaska’s News Source, otherwise known as KTUU. He was also a reporter and photojournalist for the Times-Georgian, a daily newspaper in Carroll County, Georgia, where he earned a total of 16 Georgia Press Association awards for his storytelling and stellar photography.

Luzardo also had a stint in Lincoln, Nebraska, working as a corporate journalist for News Link. His job entailed traveling across the United States and Canada to write localized newsletters for numerous Fortune 500 companies, such as Conagra Brands, Kellogg’s, Union Pacific, and the Canadian National Railway Company.

Luzardo has a bachelor’s degree in digital media studies with an emphasis on journalism from Lee University, a small Christian college in southeast Tennessee. He was a collegiate soccer player during his time there and was part of the university’s communications department staff. Luzardo also acquired an Associated Press award for his photography while in college.

Luzardo was born and raised in New Jersey, and he acknowledges that he has moved a lot recently.

“Yeah … I essentially live in planes and cars,” he said jokingly.

“I’m a first-generation American in my family and former soccer player, so I grew up traveling very often to visit my relatives in Uruguay or to weekend soccer games and tournaments across the East Coast,” Luzardo said. “But I’m getting older now and my wife and I are having a child soon … We’re ready to settle down and set some roots of our own.”

He and his wife, Sydney Luzardo, will have their first child this summer.

“I’m excited to have our baby, but for now, I’m just trying to show my worth for the archdiocese,” he said. “I love helping people and telling stories. While it’s going to be a new dynamic compared to KTUU, I’m certain my experience and skills will help me accomplish my goals here.”

Luzardo said his main goal for the North Star Catholic is to provide content from each region the archdiocese’s parishes are located.

“I’m looking forward to helping push the archdiocese toward the future through the everchanging world of communications and digital media,” he said.

To subscribe to the North Star Catholic, send an email to northstarcatholic@aoaj.org or jluzardo@aoaj.org.