Oglesby Named President of Times Orange County

Roger Oglesby, editor of the Morning Call in Allentown, Pa., on Wednesday was named president of The Times Orange County edition, effective March 1.

Oglesby, 49, also was appointed as a vice president of The Times.

“This is kind of like coming home for me,” said Oglesby. He previously lived in Orange County for 12 years, first as a lawyer for the firm of Kindel & Anderson and later as a Times Orange County assistant city editor.

For the last 2 1/2 years, Oglesby has been editor of the Morning Call, which, like The Times, is owned by Los Angeles-based Times Mirror Co.

He succeeds Robert G. Magnuson, who was promoted in October to senior vice president of The Times overseeing all regional editions. Magnuson, 46, has been president of the Times Orange County since June 1996.

“Roger brings broad experience as a leader both in the newsroom and on the business side, as well as a deep knowledge of Orange County,” Magnuson said. “We are fortunate to have an executive of his caliber join our team as we move ahead with our mission of aggressive growth.”

Oglesby will be responsible for the overall strategic direction of all departments. He said his goal will be to increase circulation, advertising and market share in Orange County.

“The competition will be all over the county, but the fiercest will be in the high-growth areas like South County,” he said. “I’m amazed at the growth in South County just over the last three years.”

First contacted about the job only three weeks ago, Oglesby said he has just begun to discuss strategy or tactics with Magnuson and other Times executives. He said he expects to build on plans put in place under Magnuson, to whom he will report.

“This is such a critical market for The Times,” Oglesby said about Orange County, “and I look forward to playing a leadership role in ensuring our success.”

Oglesby joined the Los Angeles Times in 1986. After working as an editor in the Costa Mesa newsroom he moved to a position as an assistant general counsel of The Times.

He was promoted to assistant to the publisher in 1993 and, in 1994, was named to the additional post of president and chief executive officer of California Community Newspapers, a Times Mirror subsidiary that publishes seven daily and weekly community newspapers in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Earlier in his journalism career, Oglesby worked as legal affairs writer and projects editor at the Dallas Times Herald, metro editor of the Omaha World Herald and city editor for the San Jose Mercury News.

Born and reared in Missouri, he graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1969 and worked at several small newspapers before joining the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Ethiopia.

He then went to the University of California’s Hastings College of Law and, upon graduation, worked as a public defender in Orange County for a year before joining Kindel & Anderson for two years.

After stints in Dallas, Omaha and San Jose, Oglesby came to Orange County again to join The Times. After several years away, he said he is looking forward to returning to the warmer, drier climate.

“My wife and I love this place,” he said.