Parks named Times managing editor and VP; Stogsdill and Zacchino also promoted to VP positions

Business Wire, May 1, 1996

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 1996--Michael Parks has been named managing editor of the Los Angeles Times effective July 1, 1996, announced Shelby Coffey III, the newspaper's editor and executive vice president.

Parks replaces George Cotliar, who has been The Times' managing editor for 18 years and who will continue as executive editor of the paper until his retirement in January 1997.

Coffey also announced that Parks, Associate Editor Narda Zacchino and Senior Editor Carol Stogsdill have been named vice presidents of The Times, effective Wednesday.

Parks has been deputy foreign editor of The Times for the last year and for 15 years was a foreign correspondent for the newspaper in China, Russia, and most recently, Israel. He won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 1987 for his coverage of South Africa.

Parks will be responsible for all parts of The Times' editorial department except for the editorial pages, which will continue to report to Richard T. Schlosberg III, The Times publisher and chief executive officer, and Coffey.

"Michael is a brilliant journalist whose experience and vision make him ideally suited for this important leadership position at The Times," said Schlosberg. "We are fortunate to have someone of Michael's caliber to continue the rich journalistic tradition sustained by George Cotliar for so many years."

"Michael brings a proud journalistic heritage, a keen analyst's eye and a powerful drive to this position," said Coffey. "He will be both a strong catalyst and a diplomatic leader in the newsroom.

"George's 18 years as managing editor have been ones of extraordinary achievement," Coffey added. "He has attained 39 years of exemplary work and leadership that have earned him a very important place in our newspaper's history."

"The promotion of Michael, Narda and Carol reflects the importance of their responsibilities and further strengthens the leadership of our editorial departments and The Times' senior management team," said Schlosberg.

Parks, 52, joined The Times in 1980 as Peking bureau chief following a 12-year career with the Baltimore Sun, which included assignments in Peking, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Moscow and Vietnam.

He became Johannesburg bureau chief in 1984, Moscow bureau chief in 1988 and Jerusalem bureau chief in 1992. He has won two Los Angeles Times Editorial awards and holds a bachelor's degree in classical languages and English literature from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada.

Stogsdill, 46, became senior editor of The Times in 1993, and is responsible for The Times' California coverage, which includes the newspaper's daily editions for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the San Fernando Valley, Ventura and Orange counties. Stogsdill oversaw Times coverage of the 1994 Northridge earthquake for which the newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting of spot news.

She joined The Times in 1987 as executive news editor of the Orange County Edition. She was named the executive editor of the Edition in 1989 and was promoted to editor of the Edition in 1990.

Zacchino, 49, is responsible for The Times' feature coverage including the Life & Style, Calendar, Food, Travel, Real Estate, Book Review sections and Los Angeles Times Magazine and TV Times.

She joined the newspaper in 1970 as a copy messenger, was a staff writer for seven years, an assistant city editor, and Sacramento bureau chief. She was named editor of the Orange County Edition of The Times in 1983, deputy managing editor in 1989, and was promoted to her most recent position in 1990.

Cotliar, 64, began his career with The Times in 1957 as a suburban section reporter. In 1958 he joined the Sunday department of the newspaper as a copy editor. From 1959 to 1960 he worked as a copy chief of Home Magazine and in 1961 was named special sections editor.

For the next five years he held the positions of national news editor, foreign news editor and assistant news editor. Cotliar became assistant national editor in 1966 and executive news editor in 1968. He was promoted to assistant managing editor in 1969 and from 1970 to 1972 served as editor of the Orange County Edition. Cotliar became senior assistant managing editor of the newspaper in 1972 and in 1978 was appointed managing editor.

CONTACT: Los Angeles Times

Gloria Lopez, 213/237-5779