In brief

Daily Pilot Publisher Tom Johnson on Friday was appointed general

manager of Times Community News.

He will oversee the Los Angeles Times division’s five newspapers,

which include the Burbank Leader, Foothill Leader, Glendale News-Press

and the Independent, as well as the Pilot.

“These newspapers have long histories in their communities and a

strong readership base,” said Jeff Johnson, senior vice president and

general manager of the Los Angeles Times. “Tom Johnson is a highly

talented executive with extensive experience publishing community

newspapers. We are confident that he will do an outstanding job

maximizing the potential of this newspaper group.”

Tom Johnson, 47, has been publisher of the Pilot since 1993. He is

vice president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, and a board member

of the Hoag Hospital 552 Club, Newport Beach Conference and Visitors

Bureau, Orange Coast College Foundation, Costa Mesa Senior Center and the

Huntington Beach Union High School District Educational Enrichment

Foundation.

“I think this bodes well for the Los Angeles Times’ commitment to

community news,” he said. “They’re obviously happy with what we’re doing

here at the Daily Pilot and are anxious to do it at other places.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State

University.