Long-time Long Beach Post journalist Stephanie Rivera has assumed a new leadership role in the organization as Community Engagement Editor, joining the masthead as a senior manager.
Reporting to Publisher David Sommers, Rivera will have overall responsibility for community connections and audience development initiatives, including serving as the executive liaison to the Post’s newly-formed Community Editorial Board.
“Over the past year, Stephanie has partnered with other Post reporters on an impressive series of successful efforts to deepen our connections to our readers and our community,” said Sommers.
“She has excelled at bringing in new readers and supporters, led grant development efforts which are funding numerous reporting projects, and she skillfully manages our Report for America newsroom partnership, which has allowed us to bring full time local journalists covering West Long Beach and North Long Beach.”
In her new leadership position, Rivera will oversee a number of cross-functional responsibilities throughout the Post, including community partnerships, reader relationships and non-traditional funding efforts for newsroom projects including grants and audience support.
“I’m excited to step into this new role and help strengthen the newsroom’s relationship with the community,” said Rivera, whose recent work as diversity and immigration reporter has included stories on the digital divide during the pandemic and a narrative about a Black Lives Matter protester.
Rivera first joined the Long Beach Post as a reporter in 2015 and previously worked as a journalist at City News Service and Patch Latino. She is a graduate of the journalism program at Cal State Long Beach and grew up with her five siblings in South Gate.