Read the memo: L.A.'s Latino Patch sites launch

The note from Marcia Parker, West Coast Editorial Director for AOL's Patch websites.

All,

Please join me in congratulating Baldwin Park Patch LE Carlos Aviles, South Gate Patch LE Alejandro Lopez de Haro, Lynwood Patch acting LE Cristina De Leon-Menjivar, and Regional Editor Sandra Oshiro on the launch of our first three Patch Latino sites here in California.

This is a very important part of Patch and AOL's new multicultural initiatives. Carlos, Alejandro, Cristina and Sandee have worked incredibly hard to understand these communities, design a unique editorial strategy for covering them, and to think about smart ways to launch in two languages to serve them. Besides great original content from our local editors, these three Patch Latino sites also feature top news stories and bloggers from AOL Latino and HP LatinoVoices. Look for new content partners as well in the coming weeks.

Let me tell you a little about the local editors. Carlos has more than a decade of experience. Since 2007 he has been a reporter at La Opinion in Los Angeles, the leading Spanish language paper in California. He has written, edited and coordinated coverage. His reporting experience also includes stints at Hoy Publications in Los Angeles and The Press Enterprise / La Prensa in Riverside. He was born in El Salvador. Carlos has done extensive investigative and computer assisted reporting.

Alejandro graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and was a summer intern for Patch. While he was at CU he was a staff writer at www.columbianewsservice.com and at www.thebrooklynink.com, a local news site. He also has experience at the daily Diario Las Américas in Miami. Alejandro has lived in Venezuela, France, the U.S. and a few other countries.
Cristina's first job out of college was at the Napa Valley Register, where she was a reporter covering education and other beats. She has freelanced full time in recent years while working on her master's degree, which she just earned, including regularly for two of our Southern California sites. Cristina has also been a writing tutor, including for Literacy AmeriCorps.

I also want to thank Regional Director Laura Nelson, who worked hard to get all three sites ready for launch in a tight time frame, and Regional Publisher David Peck, who has connected us with the local chambers of commerce and the business community.

Finally, special thanks to AOL Latino and HP Latino Voices Senior Editor Gabriel Lerner and Managing Editor Miguel Ferrer, both of whom have been invaluable as advisors and have happily shared their great content with us and will help us promote our Patch Latino sites' content as well.

Great work, great team. Go Patch!

Cheers, Marcia

Previous memo: Patch hires up for Latino sites.