LA Times names new Business Editor

LA Observed file photo

The Los Angeles Times has named Kimi Yoshino as the new editor of the Business section and staff. She succeeds Marla Dickerson, who left the paper for the Wall Street Journal. Here's this morning's memo from the editors.

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 11:02 AM
To: yyeditall
Subject: Message from Davan Maharaj and Marc Duvoisin

To the staff:

We’re pleased to announce that Kimi Yoshino is the new Business editor of the Los Angeles Times.

Kimi brings many valuable qualities to this important job: a passion for news, a commitment to digital journalism, a background in business reporting and a collaborative spirit.

For the past few years, Kimi has been the morning assigning editor in Metro and a driving force behind L.A. Now, our most-read blog. During her tenure, L.A. Now established itself as the go-to source for reliable, real-time coverage of the biggest stories in Southern California. A very partial list of highlights would include coverage of the Christopher Dorner saga, the LAX shooting and numerous Southern California wildfires.

Kimi also helped guide our reporting on the Bell corruption scandal, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service. Last year, she helped shepherd an eye-opening series about construction on or near seismic faults in L.A. and the mortal risks posed by inadequately reinforced concrete buildings.

Kimi came to The Times in 2000 after stints at the Fresno Bee and Stockton Record. She started in Orange County, where she covered Disney theme parks and quickly became our resident expert on dangerous rides.

As a reporter for Metro and Business, she covered Anaheim, the Orange County beach cities and the cruise industry, among other beats. Along the way, she did two reporting rotations in The Times’ Baghdad bureau, where she met her future husband, Saif, then a translator for the paper.

Kimi grew up in Modesto and attended UC Davis. She and her husband live in Long Beach.

Please join us in congratulating her on her new job.

Davan and Marc