Calvin Hom promoted to executive director, Kate Kuo to director of The Times’ Photography Department

Sent on behalf of Executive Editor Kevin Merida and Managing Editor Shani Hilton:

We are pleased to announce that Calvin Hom has been promoted to executive director of photography. After serving as the interim head of the Photography Department since late July, Hom will now tackle the role on a permanent basis.

Hom, who joined The Times in 1993 as a photo editor, has helped coach and guide countless photographers over the years. He has served as an editor, mentor, coach and problem-solver to the photo staff — making himself available all hours of the day, night and weekend to talk through professional challenges and assignments. Now, he’ll continue that role in a formal capacity and help lead the department into a more digital future.

Hom started his career as a staff photographer for UPI/Kansas City in 1983 and was the National Press Photographer Assn.’s Sports Photographer of the Year in 1985. While at The Times, he has received several awards and accolades. He was part of the photo staff that won the Angus McDougall Overall Excellence in Editing Award for Newspapers in 2004 and 2005 and the Best Use of Photography in the Pictures of the Year International competition in 2005. In 2014, Hom and Mary Cooney received a Lucie Award for Photo Editor of the Year.

Kate Kuo will serve as Calvin’s deputy as the director of photography.

Kuo will help set a more expansive and inventive vision of photojournalism as we reshape the department. Throughout her career at The Times, Kuo has worked across all of the Features and Entertainment sections. Kuo, a resourceful and creative photo editor, is known as a great collaborator who can work seamlessly across departments and teams. She was born in South Korea, grew up in Oregon, went to school in Boston, lived in New York, but will forever believe that L.A. is hands down the best city in the world.