Charles Gerencser says he is leaving Southland Publishing, where he oversaw LA CityBeat and New Angeles Monthly, on Oct. 17 to join the Barack Obama campaign as a fundraiser and "committee leader for California and Nevada." From his email to colleagues this afternoon:

As a life-long Republican I am seen as a crucial leader in the fight to win votes and raise money for the Senator amongst undecided Republicans and Independents, particularly in the States of Nevada and Colorado which are key Western battleground states.

Additionally, I have also applied to both the UCLA Anderson Doctoral Program in Business and the UC Santa Barbara/Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership for admission as early as Spring 2009.

Gerencser had previously been publisher of New Times Los Angeles and Pasadena Weekly.