Clayton, Del Olmo, Plate Get New Times Assignments

Janet Clayton has been named editor of The Times’ editorial pages, replacing Thomas Plate, who is becoming a columnist, Times Publisher and Chief Executive Officer Richard T. Schlosberg III announced Monday.

Deputy Editorial Page Editor Frank del Olmo becomes assistant to Times Editor Shelby Coffey III, in addition to writing a regular opinion column.

“These moves strengthen The Times by putting three of our top people in positions that will display their talents in the best way,” said Schlosberg.

Coffey said the paper “will benefit by bringing Frank del Olmo’s keen insights into a broader editorial management role. Likewise, by giving Tom Plate--and Frank--more running room to deal with political and social issues on the Opinion pages, we will gain more distinctive voices in that crucial arena.”

Plate’s column will pay special attention to issues with a Pacific Rim dimension, Coffey said.

“And with Janet Clayton, the paper will gain a vibrant, thoughtful leader grounded in Southern California and well acquainted with world issues as well,” he said.

Clayton, a Los Angeles native, began her career with The Times as a Washington Bureau intern in 1977, and worked as a reporter in Orange County and as assistant city/county bureau chief before moving to the Op-Ed pages as an articles editor in 1987. She became an editorial writer in 1989 and was named assistant editorial page editor in 1990.

In addition to writing a column for the Op-Ed pages, Del Olmo’s new role will include a number of duties, ranging over all Editorial Department concerns, from readership and coverage issues to coordination with business departments, Coffey said.

A member of the reporting team that won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public service for a series on Southern California’s Latino community, Del Olmo joined The Times in 1970 as an intern.

As a staff writer from 1971 to 1980, he specialized in Latin American affairs. He became an editorial writer in 1980 and was named deputy editor of the editorial pages in 1989.

Plate joined The Times as editor of the editorial pages in 1989, coming from New York Newsday, where he held the same position. He was also editor-in-chief of Family Weekly, a senior editor at Time magazine and executive editor and editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner.