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Who owns the Post?
Our ownership history
2007 – Founding
The Long Beach Post was founded on February 13, 2007 by Shaun Lumachi and Robert Garcia. At the time, Lumachi worked as a public policy consultant for area chambers of commerce, including the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Garcia worked as an educator, teaching public policy and communications at University of Southern California, California State University Long Beach, and Long Beach City College.
2008 – Robert Garcia announces run for City Council
During his 2008 city council campaign, Garcia recused himself from participating in any editorial or business decisions related to the Post. At that time Shaun Lumachi became the sole publisher and decision maker on all editorial and business decisions.
2009 – Robert Garcia elected to Long Beach City Council
In 2009, Garcia was elected to the Long Beach City Council during a special election to fill the First District seat vacated by Bonnie Lowenthal. At that time, all of Garcia’s investments and assets relating to Long Beach Post, Inc., were placed in a blind trust where he had no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in its handling.
2011 – Death of Shaun Lumachi
On December 3, 2011, Shaun Lumachi was killed in an automobile accident in Florida. His stake in the Long Beach Post passed to his widow, Deziré Lumachi. On December 20 of the same year, Deziré was named Interim Publisher of the Long Beach Post.
2013 – Cindy Allen becomes a partner at the Long Beach Post
In 2013, local business owner and former Long Beach police officer Cindy Allen became a partner in the Long Beach Post, Inc. She was soon named Publisher, and was solely responsible for all business and editorial decisions at the Long Beach Post; though they maintained their ownership stake in the Post for a short time after, neither Deziré Lumachi nor Robert Garcia participated in any further business or editorial decision making.
2013 – Robert Garcia announces run for mayor; Cindy Allen becomes sole owner
Later that year, co-founder Robert Garcia announced his bid to run for mayor of Long Beach. At that time Deziré Lumachi and Robert Garcia sold their remaining stake in the Long Beach Post to Cindy Allen, Long Beach Post, Inc. was dissolved and the Long Beach Post was fully moved under the ownership of Allen’s agency, ETA Advertising.
Once the sale of the Long Beach Post to ETA Advertising was finalized, neither Deziré Lumachi nor Robert Garcia had any further ownership, financial stake or involvement whatsoever in the Long Beach Post. Robert Garcia would go on to win the election for Long Beach Mayor in 2014.
2018 – John Molina / Pacific6 purchase of the Long Beach Post
In June 2018, local businessman John Molina and the Pacific6 community investment partnership purchased the Long Beach Post from Cindy Allen, under a newly-formed company, Pacific Community Media. Once the sale was finalized, Cindy Allen had no further ownership, financial stake or involvement whatsoever in the Long Beach Post.
Pacific6’s purchase of the Post in June 2018 allowed the media organization to continue expanding coverage of our city and its people, quadrupling its editorial and business staff, to become the largest media organization in the city of Long Beach.
Pacific6 did not have a say in news and editorial decisions or coverage.
February 2020 — Pacific Community Media purchases the Long Beach Business Journal
Molina-owned Pacific Community Media purchased the Long Beach Business Journal from George Economides, who founded the publication and published its first edition in 1987.
Dec. 1, 2023 — The Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal organized under new nonprofit
The Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal separated from Pacific Community Media and became organized as nonprofits under the Long Beach Journalism Initiative.
The initial Board of Directors included Chair Matt Kinley, a local attorney; Treasurer Dora Jacildo, Executive Director of Child Lane; and Secretary Gwen Shaffer, journalism professor at CSULB.