Local News in Brief : Woman Promoted to Oversee Park Programs

Jackie Tatum, a 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department, has been named assistant general manager of the Valley Region, making her the highest-ranking black woman in the department.

James E. Hadaway, general manager of the department, appointed Tatum to the $70,490-a-year post on Tuesday.

Tatum, 55, of Los Angeles, will oversee programs at 42 San Fernando Valley recreation facilities, 16 swimming pools, eight senior citizen centers, four 18-hole golf courses, and the Hansen Dam and Sepulveda Dam recreation areas.

A graduate of USC, Tatum joined the department in 1955 as a recreation center director. She succeeds Dave Gonzalez, who was appointed assistant general manager of the Metropolitan Region.