Hall Is Named President of Times’ Valley Edition

Jeffrey S. Hall, vice president of marketing services at the Los Angeles Times, was named Thursday to the new position of president of the newspaper’s San Fernando Valley Edition.

“The creation of this new position is an indication of our commitment to the San Fernando Valley and the other fast-growing neighboring communities,” said Don Clark, executive vice president of marketing, in a statement. “It recognizes this vital region’s importance to Southern California, as well as to The Times.”

Hall, 37, will direct business operations of the daily Valley Edition, based in Chatsworth. He will keep his vice president title and continue reporting to Clark.

Editorial operations of the Valley Edition remain the responsibility of Editor Charles Carter, who reports to Times Suburban Editor Bob Rawitch.

The edition has a circulation of 230,827 daily and 266,373 Sundays and circulates in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County and the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys. That compares to daily circulation in 1984 of 210,148 and Sunday circulation of 177,316, before changes in the edition’s circulation boundaries in 1988.

Hall’s promotion triggers other personnel moves within The Times.

Lawrence M. Higby, a Times vice president and president of the newspaper’s Orange County Edition, will assume Hall’s promotion responsibilities in addition to his current duties. Susan McRae, director of promotion, will report to Higby.

Higby will report to Clark with regard to promotions and to Dick Schlosberg, president and chief operating officer, with regard to his Orange County duties.

Robert Cohen, director of marketing strategy, and Jack Shanahan, creative graphics manager, who now report to Hall, will instead report to Clark.

Hall joined the Times as vice president of marketing services in November, 1988, after completing a one-year program as a White House Fellow. Before that, he had worked since 1982 as vice president for marketing at the Kansas City Star Co., publishers of the Kansas City Times and Kansas City Star.

A native of Boston, Hall graduated from Stanford University in 1974 with a degree in communication and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School in 1978.

In 1977, he began his career in newspapers as an editorial intern at the Star, working as a general assignment reporter. Later, he worked in the Star’s circulation department, and was named vice president for circulation in 1981.