LA Civic Leadership Letter To Tribune 9-10-15
LA Civic Leadership Letter To Tribune 9-10-15
By removing a respected and proven local leader such as Austin from this critical position,
you are making it much more difficult for the Times to fulfill these responsibilities. As you move
ahead, we strongly urge you to continue with leadership that knows and loves
Los Angeles and shares our commitment to its future. Anything less would be taken by
the community as a message that the Tribune Company has little interest in the future
of this great city.
The Times struggled through a series of financial and operational difficulties for many years, yet Austin had
demonstrated in only a year that the Times was once again capable of impactful journalism and meaningful
community leadership. Making such a drastic decision to terminate him after he had served less than a year in
that position is both curious and disappointing to us. To the contrary, we all looked forward to seeing even more
progress under Austins leadership.
During this tumultuous time in the journalism profession, we understand that your goals are both to serve a
community and to oversee a profitable business enterprise. However, we share Austins view that the papers
commitment to Los Angeles is a key to its financial success as well. At a time when readers can receive their
news from an infinite number of sources, the connection that develops from a media platforms commitment to a
community is of tremendous import.
For 133 years, the Times has faithfully served the people of Los Angeles. Under the guidance of dedicated public
servants and civic-minded leaders, the Times has helped us come to understand each other, face our challenges
and move forward together. We strongly urge you to demonstrate to the news consumers of Southern California
that the Times will continue to serve their interests. The alternative would be to do great damage to both our
community and your bottom line.
With our love of the city and of the Times, we strongly urge you provide the Times with the leadership and
support that its readers deserve.
Sincerely,
Antonio Villaraigosa
Former Mayor of Los Angeles
Richard Riordan
Former Mayor of Los Angeles
David Fleming
Founder, Los Angeles County Business Federation
(BizFed)
Kathay Feng
Executive Director, California Common Cause
Mickey Kantor
Chairman, Los Angeles 2020 Commission
Antonia Hernandez
President & CEO,
California Community Foundation
John W. Mack
Former President, Los Angeles Urban League and
Los Angeles Police Commission
Anthony Pritzker
Managing Partner, Pritzker Group
Charlie Woo
CEO, Megatoys and Past Chairman of the Los Angeles
Area Chamber of Commerce
Dan Schnur
Director, Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics
David Abel
Founder, VerdeXchange
Lou Baglietto
The Baglietto Company
Frank Baxter
Businessman and former United
States Ambassador
Eli Broad
Founder of The Eli and Edythe
Broad Foundation
Steve Bullock
CFO, Cerrell Associates
Steve Catalano
Founding Principal, Kindel Gagan
Lisa Collins
Publisher, L.A. Focus Magazine
Bruce Corwin
Chairman & CEO,
Metropolitan Theaters
Arpy Hatzikian
Principal, Gensler
Teena Hostovich
Partner, Lockton Insurance Brokers
Dennis Huang
Executive Director, Asian
Business Association
Maria Hummer-Tuttle
Chair, J. Paul Getty Trust
Gilbert Ivey
Rob Jernigan
Managing Principal, Gensler
Matthew Karatz
Co-Managing Partner,
Quarter Group LLC.
Maureen Kindel
Founder, Kindel Gagan
Joanne Kozberg
Principal, California Strategies, LLC
Renee Croce
Founder & President, Renee
Croce & Associates
Marvin Kropke
Business Manager, IBEW Local 11
Shari L. Davis
Chair, Community for Excellent
Public Schools
David Lee
Partner, Dongell Lawrence &
Finney LLP
Hal Dash
Chairman & CEO, Cerrell Associates
Carl Douglas
Civil Rights Attorney
Stephanie Graves
President & CEO, Lee
Andrews Group
Wendy Greuel
Former Los Angeles City Controller
and City Councilwoman
Glenn Gritzner
Managing Director, Mercury
Public Affairs
Lisa Gritzner
President, Cerrell Associates
Gene Hale
Chairman, Greater Los Angeles
African American Chamber of
Commerce
Steven D. Lavine
President, CalArts
Mel Levine
Former Member,
U.S. House of Representatives
Alex M. Johnson
Executive Director, Childrens
Defense Fund-California
Kerman Maddox
Senior Partner, Dakota
Communications
Akili Nickson
Senior Associate, Isaacs Friedberg
& Labaton LLP
Fabian Nunez
Former Speaker of the California
State Assembly and Partner,
Mercury Public Affairs
Clyde Oden
Senior Pastor, Bryant Temple
AME Church
Jane Olsen
Chair of the Board, Human
Rights Watch
Tracy Rafter
Founder, Los Angeles County
Business Federation (BizFed)
Nolan Rollins
President & CEO, Los Angeles Urban
League
Armen Ross
President, Crenshaw Chamber
of Commerce
Sam S. Solakyan
Chairman & CEO, S3 Capital, Inc
Steve Samuelian
Owner, California Consulting LLP
Dean Schramm
President, American Jewish
Committee
Stuart Waldman
President, Valley Industry and
Commerce Association
Mark Whitlock
Senior Pastor, Christ Our Redeemer
AME Church
Mark Wilber
President & CEO, Employers Group
Will Wright
Director of Government Affairs,
AIA Los Angeles