 | | | Steve Lee Named President of Times' Orange County Edition | LOS ANGELES, January 28, 2000 - Steven U. Lee has been named president of the Los Angeles Times' Orange County Edition, effective immediately. He replaces Roger Oglesby, who is moving to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as its publisher and editor.
Lee, who had been president of The Times' Inland Valley/San Gabriel Valley region since its creation in 1998, will be responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Orange County Edition's business operations, including advertising, circulation and marketing. He reports to Robert G. Magnuson, Times senior vice president, regions.
"Steve is an exceptional executive with a successful record of directing a regional operation," Magnuson said. "He brings the sharp focus, strategic outlook and marketing experience that we need to be successful in Orange County and increase the momentum that we have created."
Magnuson noted that the Edition's circulation has increased since it launched a redesigned, comprehensive local news section last fall and expanded its "Our Times" coverage of Orange County communities.
In the most recent Orange County Press Club competition, The Times' Orange County Edition won 39 journalism awards, including 18 first-place honors and the prestigious the Watchdog/Investigative Award.
"The pieces are in place for The Times to grow in this vital market by serving the information needs of Orange County residents better than any alternative," Lee said. "We now have to make sure that we reach everyone with our message and our service as well as with our journalism."
Until The Times announces a replacement for Lee, he will continue to oversee the Inland Valley/San Gabriel Valley region as well.
Lee, who resides with his family in Irvine, joined The Times in early 1998 as vice president of consumer marketing and planning. Before that he worked for the Frito Lay International-Asia Pacific division of PepsiCo, Inc., where he was vice president of marketing.
His experience also includes eight years at Proctor & Gamble USA and International as well as positions at Heinz and Kraft Foods. Lee earned his bachelor's degree in economics and history from Claremont McKenna College and his master's degree in management from Northwestern University.
The Los Angeles Times is a Times Mirror newspaper. The Times, winner of 23 Pulitzer Prizes, is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country. It publishes four daily regional editions -- covering the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the San Fernando Valley, and Orange and Ventura counties -- as well as a National Edition. | |