Orange County Performing Arts Center hires new publicist

Deirdre Newman

After she left the Daily Pilot, former Features Editor Jennifer K

Mahal’s passion for the arts never waned. Next month, she will be

reunited with her love for the arts as the new publicist for the

Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Mahal will replace Angela Dickson, who had a baby in November.

Mahal has been working at Envision Group, an Internet marketing and

consulting firm in Torrance, for more than a year.

Her experience as features editor for more than two years will be

valuable in her new position, she said.

“The best thing that a publicist can do is push a good story,”

Mahal said. “And I think if you know what a good story is -- because

you’ve had to recognize it before in your work -- then you get better

at it.”

Mahal said getting the job was serendipitous since she was just

perusing the center’s website to see if American Ballet Theatre was

coming when she spied the job opening.

“The company I work for has been very good to me and I really

didn’t have any reason to look, but I saw the opening and thought,

‘This is what I love,’” Mahal said. “I love the arts so very much.”

She contacted Tim Dunn, the center’s director of public relations,

and asked him if he was interested in having her apply for the

position, she said. He was, she did and she got the job, she

recounted.

Dunn said Mahal is a natural fit for the job.

“We knew Jen from working with her at the Pilot and we were

impressed with her professionalism and thoroughness,” Dunn said. “Her

media background makes it easier for her to identify the story in the

performances when she approaches newspapers, magazines and

television.”

As publicist, Mahal will be the liaison with the press for the

shows presented by the center and the educational programs it hosts.

Mahal said she feels fortunate about the opportunity to work for such

a high-caliber arts institution.

“When you look at the quality of arts in America and look at how

privileged Orange County gets to be by having such a wonderful place,

it’s pretty stunning,” Mahal said. “There aren’t a lot of cities that

can say they have a first-rate dance, [a first-rate] Broadway season

that really rivals anything out there. And so the idea that I get a

chance to work with them, and for them, that’s pretty amazing to me.”

She is also looking forward to working with such a professional

staff, she said.

“I think so very highly of them and my dealings with them when I

was features editor gave me nothing but the highest respect for how

they do things and who they are and what they do,” Mahal said.

Mahal worked for Times Community News for five years in Orange

County, where she is looking forward to returning, she said.

“It’s like going back home in some ways,” Mahal said. “I do have

so many connections to it already, especially with the last part of

my working with the features and arts.”

At Envision Group, Mahal mostly worked on copywriting for

Neutrogena’s website. Going from journalism to marketing taught her

to focus even more attention on the significance of words, she said.

“When you’re a journalist, you can write as much as you want or

don’t want and then it gets edited down,” Mahal explained. “[In

marketing], you don’t have very much room. It’s like doing headlines

all the time. You have to very much pick and choose your words and

certain words have a certain effect. It’s something I think I’ve

learned more of.”

Mahal will start her new job on April 5.