Our People » Beth Sestanovich
Beth is currently Group Publisher of Village Voice Media running the LA and OC Weekly, laweekly.com and ocweekly.com. Appointed in June 2002, she is responsible for the PL’s of both companies well as the staff of more than 120 people who create the content each week. Under her leadership, the LA Weekly has grown to become the largest and most successful weekly newspaper in the United States.
Established in 1978, the LA Weekly is a 25 year-old publication of news, arts and entertainment, which strives to publish a hard-hitting and entertaining newspaper every week with the most comprehensive calendar available anywhere in the city. Its mission is to provide a provocative point of view and an alternative to the staid coverage by the mainstream daily papers and city magazines in LA. In 2002, LA Weekly began developing it’s website laweekly.com which has evolved into the second largest local web destination in LA covering all things Los Angeles.
The OC Weekly began publishing in 1995 to provide another voice to the thriving arts and music scene as well as the fascinating political landscape of the 2.5 million people that reside in Orange County. Prior to the LA/OC Weekly, Beth was Vice President of Operations, Customer Service and Human Resources for CarsDirect.com, an online automobile retailing operation. Before joining CarsDirect.com, Beth spent 8 years at the Los Angeles Times in a variety of management positions including advertising Director for the Los Angeles Region managing more than 100 people and $100 million in revenue. Other positions included Regional Manager of Ad Operations and Chief of Staff for the President of the newspaper.
Beth’s background prior to the Los Angeles Times was in sales for IBM. She held several sales positions during her eight-year career at IBM culminating in managing the Times Mirror and Los Angeles Times national account.
Beth holds a bachelor degree in Psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University.
Beth has served on the Board of Directors of the Ketchum Downtown YMCA, where she has been honored with their Distinguished Service Award for national excellence. She also served on the Aviva Center Board of Directors, which is a shelter for abused, neglected and abandoned teenage girls. Beth is a member of YPO, Santa Monica Bay Chapter, and the Organization of Women Executives.
Beth has run 10 marathons around the country. She has climbed Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the continental US. She also enjoys adventurous traveling, skiing, scuba diving, and playing Scrabble with anyone who will take her on.
Beth resides in Manhattan Beach, CA. Her family includes her husband Tom, a real estate attorney and their daughters Samantha and Casey Jane.