Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
News-Press publisher gets promotion
Gordon Tomaske prepares to take the helm of targeted media division of Los Angeles Times.
By Jason Wells
GLENDALE — Gordon Tomaske, publisher of the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader, La Canada Valley Sun and Crescenta Valley Sun, has been promoted to director of operations for the Los Angeles Times’ Targeted Media Division little more than a year after he took over in March 2007 as the third publisher in as many years.
The Targeted Media Division oversees Times Community News, of which the News-Press is a part. Together with its sister publications, the Burbank Leader, La Canada Valley Sun and Crescenta Valley Sun, the News-Press will be placed under the more direct purview of Times Community News General Manager Tom Johnson, who is based in Costa Mesa.
The move was made, in part, to optimize resources for the community news division “and really get it strengthened,” Tomaske said.
Despite the financial difficulties of declining advertising revenue faced at many major metropolitan newspapers, community news remains one of the few growth markets in the industry, he said.
That puts the News-Press and Burbank Leader in a solid position at a time when most of the major dailies in the region have undergone highly publicized staff cuts, managers said.
“It’s definitely not a sign of weakness,” Johnson said of Tomaske’s reassignment. “This is not a move I could make if I didn’t have great leadership in Glendale.”
Danette Goulet will remain as director of editorial for the four papers, with Hector Cabral as advertising manager.
Johnson, who also oversees the Huntington Independent, in Huntington Beach; the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, in Laguna Beach; and Daily Pilot, in Newport Beach, will remain headquartered in Costa Mesa, but has committed to having a presence in the community here.
Beyond the motive of economic consolidation, the idea of bringing in a new resident publisher for the News-Press office in Glendale was nixed to preserve some amount of continuity for a community that has had to deal with persistent staff changes, especially in terms of publishers, Tomaske said.
“There’s no getting around that,” he said.
Since Johnson has overseen the papers for years, managers said he is in a much better position to more directly oversee the operations here.
“We’re happy Tom Johnson is taking over because he’s not a new face for us,” Goulet said. “No one knows better than he what we do at these papers and how we do it.”
The change in management structure is reflective of more changes throughout the newsroom.
Three reporters at the News-Press and Burbank Leader have left within the past year, and Ryan Carter, city editor for three years, is leaving on Friday to pursue other opportunities.
Other administrative staff positions have also been realigned in recent months.
Unlike the layoffs experienced at almost all regional papers this year, the staff changes at the News-Press and Burbank Leader are more cyclical in nature, and do not reflect the direct cuts at other media outlets, Goulet said.
But Tomaske’s departure will be felt beyond the walls of the second-floor newsroom on Brand Boulevard.
His reassignment to The Times’ headquarters in downtown Los Angeles also spells the end of his tenure on the board of directors for the Glendale Scholarship Endowment Fund, the Glendale Adventist Medical Center’s Healthcare Foundation and other community nonprofit groups.
“We’ll miss him very much,” said David Burghart, president of the healthcare foundation. “We felt he was a strong liaison to the community.”
It was that role as an “unelected official” that left the strongest impression on a first-time publisher who, little more than a year ago, had came in from his post as chief financial officer for Times Community News.
“I took the job with the understanding that I would be there for a long time, and I committed myself to it,” Tomaske said.
That essentially meant a crash course in public speaking and heavy involvement in a diverse community — a role that, combined with his newly found frontline management experience, has given him a new perspective on the corporate process.
“It all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “It’s an eye-opener.”
JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.
The Targeted Media Division oversees Times Community News, of which the News-Press is a part. Together with its sister publications, the Burbank Leader, La Canada Valley Sun and Crescenta Valley Sun, the News-Press will be placed under the more direct purview of Times Community News General Manager Tom Johnson, who is based in Costa Mesa.
The move was made, in part, to optimize resources for the community news division “and really get it strengthened,” Tomaske said.
Despite the financial difficulties of declining advertising revenue faced at many major metropolitan newspapers, community news remains one of the few growth markets in the industry, he said.
That puts the News-Press and Burbank Leader in a solid position at a time when most of the major dailies in the region have undergone highly publicized staff cuts, managers said.
“It’s definitely not a sign of weakness,” Johnson said of Tomaske’s reassignment. “This is not a move I could make if I didn’t have great leadership in Glendale.”
Danette Goulet will remain as director of editorial for the four papers, with Hector Cabral as advertising manager.
Johnson, who also oversees the Huntington Independent, in Huntington Beach; the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, in Laguna Beach; and Daily Pilot, in Newport Beach, will remain headquartered in Costa Mesa, but has committed to having a presence in the community here.
Beyond the motive of economic consolidation, the idea of bringing in a new resident publisher for the News-Press office in Glendale was nixed to preserve some amount of continuity for a community that has had to deal with persistent staff changes, especially in terms of publishers, Tomaske said.
“There’s no getting around that,” he said.
Since Johnson has overseen the papers for years, managers said he is in a much better position to more directly oversee the operations here.
“We’re happy Tom Johnson is taking over because he’s not a new face for us,” Goulet said. “No one knows better than he what we do at these papers and how we do it.”
The change in management structure is reflective of more changes throughout the newsroom.
Three reporters at the News-Press and Burbank Leader have left within the past year, and Ryan Carter, city editor for three years, is leaving on Friday to pursue other opportunities.
Other administrative staff positions have also been realigned in recent months.
Unlike the layoffs experienced at almost all regional papers this year, the staff changes at the News-Press and Burbank Leader are more cyclical in nature, and do not reflect the direct cuts at other media outlets, Goulet said.
But Tomaske’s departure will be felt beyond the walls of the second-floor newsroom on Brand Boulevard.
His reassignment to The Times’ headquarters in downtown Los Angeles also spells the end of his tenure on the board of directors for the Glendale Scholarship Endowment Fund, the Glendale Adventist Medical Center’s Healthcare Foundation and other community nonprofit groups.
“We’ll miss him very much,” said David Burghart, president of the healthcare foundation. “We felt he was a strong liaison to the community.”
It was that role as an “unelected official” that left the strongest impression on a first-time publisher who, little more than a year ago, had came in from his post as chief financial officer for Times Community News.
“I took the job with the understanding that I would be there for a long time, and I committed myself to it,” Tomaske said.
That essentially meant a crash course in public speaking and heavy involvement in a diverse community — a role that, combined with his newly found frontline management experience, has given him a new perspective on the corporate process.
“It all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “It’s an eye-opener.”
JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.
Save/Share
 |
 |
|
| QUESTIONING THE QUESTIONS | E-FILING ERA LIMITS LINES |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of glendalenewspress.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
Not registered yet?
RSS