L.A. Times design team announces promotions, new hires
The following announcement was sent on behalf of Creative Director Amy King and Deputy Directors Steven Banks and Allison Hong.
We are thrilled to announce a round of promotions on the design team as well as two new additions.
An Amlotte has been promoted to senior art director. Amlotte has been with The Times since 1999 and has worked across multiple sections including Travel, Book Review and the Orange County edition. She is now co-leading the art direction for the Sunday Calendar section. Amlotte’s approach to this year’s Oscars coverage — which included an Instagram grid takeover and a wraparound print cover — and her work on the recent Joni Mitchell package are just two examples of many that showcase her overall cohesive vision for storytelling. Over the last year, she has collaborated closely with the entertainment team to make our digital work more dynamic.
Martina Ibáñez Baldor has been promoted to senior art director. Since joining The Times in 2015, Ibáñez Baldor has been an advocate for powerful design and visuals. She has worked on some of our biggest initiatives, including her stint as the lead art director for the launch of our new Food section. She now leads design for the @latimesplants Instagram account, which she has helped grow to more than 20,000 followers. She co-led the visual direction for the Chicano Moratorium project and was the lead art director of our recent project on Latino representation in Hollywood.
Tim Hubbard has been promoted to senior art director. Hubbard has been the ultimate two-way player, having designed at every position in his career spanning three decades. He has been the lead art director for weekly Features sections, daily Sports sections, countless special sections, and now brings his strong design sensibility to A1 and California. With his sports expertise, he has also contributed as a writer and blogger in years past.
Hamlet Nalbandyan has been promoted to senior art director. Nalbandyan has been a steady hand during breaking news and big news days alike, evidenced by his work in January alone (with insurrection, impeachment and inauguration A1s). In the day to day, he also provides an encyclopedic knowledge of The Times’ archive of stories and styles, culled from his 20-plus years in design and editor roles at Times community papers.
Nicole Vas has been promoted to senior art director. Since joining The Times at the end of 2019, Vas has jumped head-on into the digital-print hybrid model that is the future of the design department. Her consistent illustration work for the Business and Opinion departments are conceptual and effective, and she has been dependable as a lead art director for digital products including the Wide Shot newsletter and the Second Opinion series.
In their new roles, the senior art directors will help our team build digital skills, provide critiques and mentorship, implement efficient workflows across departments, foster team culture, contribute to our efforts to unify our design and more.
Kay Scanlon has joined the design team as an art director. Scanlon started with us last year with an impressive stint as a freelancer during Envelope season. In her new role, she will be working with various teams. She is currently working with Food, where she is already showcasing her unique approach to design and storytelling. In her 15-plus years of art directing, she has worked with clients including Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and Marvel Studios.
Jess de Jesus has joined the design team as senior art director for Image. In this temporary role, De Jesus leads art direction and design for Image and will continue to develop the brand’s visual voice for print and digital. She also co-runs our newly launched Instagram account @latimesimage. Before joining The Times, she was the creative director for Bitch magazine, where she oversaw the evolution, development and creation of Bitch Media’s brand identity and visual voice across print and digital platforms.
