Union-Tribune names Latino products veep looking at increased web presence, high school internships

April 16, 2012
By Roger Showley

Tom Jimenez was named Monday as U-T San Diego’s vice president of Spanish language products.

Jimenez, a 1966 graduate of San Diego State University, said he will focus on expanding the U-T’s presence in the Latino community, both in publications and on the Internet as well as in outreach to local residents and businesses.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to join the U-T and spearhead and focus on the great Spanish language products already in place,” Jimenez said. I look forward to helping broaden the U-T’s commitment to the Hispanic market in Southern California.”

Currently, the U-T publishes the Enlace weekly newspaper, Vida Latina lifestyle magazine and La Bolsa Azul (“the blue bag“), an advertising supplement, and operates several Spanish-language websites.

“I have worked with Tom for many years and know him to be a successful and innovative leader,” said U-T CEO John Lynch. “There is no one more qualified to lead the U-T’s expansion of Spanish language products.” Jimenez will expand the U-T’s commitment to the Spanish-speaking community, both in San Diego and Baja California, Lynch said.

One idea in the works, Jimenez said, is offering paid several internships at the U-T to local Latino high school students who are interested in journalism careers. He hopes to release the details in the next few weeks with the hope that the program can be offered this summer.

Born in the Imperial Valley, Jimenez earned a postgraduate degree in international marketing at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona.

His career began at American Express in Puerto Rico and New York City. He came to San Diego in 1974, where he worked at KFMB radio as a sales executive before joining Lynch’s management team at Noble Broadcast Group in 2000.

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune