Beutner hires 'chief of staff' from the Dodgers

Los Angeles Times publisher Austin Beutner sent an email to the newsroom this morning announcing that he has named Renata Simril to be the paper's senior vice president and his chief of staff. She has been the top external relations executive for the Dodgers since 2012 and comes with a City Hall resume: deputy mayor for economic development for James Hahn and policy deputy for then-City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. She also adds to the USC connection at the Times, which recently raised some eyebrows (at UCLA and elsewhere) when the editors posted an internal job opening for a Metro reporter to be devoted solely to covering USC. The Times and USC are partners in the annual Festival of Books and have many newsroom connections.

Here's Beutner's email:

From: Beutner, Austin M
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2014 10:41 AM
To: AllLosAngelesTimesEmployees
Subject: Renata Simril

Colleagues –

Please join me in welcoming Renata Simril to the Los Angeles Times where she will be a Senior Vice President and serve as my Chief of Staff. She has extensive experience in both the public and private sector and along the way has built a well-earned reputation for integrity, a tireless work ethic and getting things done. I am counting on her to help me and all of us get more things done here at the LA Times.

Ms. Simril brings to the Los Angeles Times over 20 years of leadership, management, land use policy, real estate development and civic engagement experience. She began her career as a Military Police Officer in the United States Army, worked to help rebuild South Los Angeles after the 1992 Civil Unrest, served as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development in the Hahn Administration, expanded rental and affordable housing in Los Angeles as a senior executive at Forest City Development and guided the restoration of the Los Angeles Dodgers brand to its external audiences. Ms. Simril holds Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. She is a third generation Angelino and resides in the San Fernando Valley with her husband and two young boys.

She will leave her current role with the Dodgers and join us on November 3rd and I hope you will join me in making her feel welcome.

Austin

Photo of Simril: LMU Magazine