Ryan ZumMallen spends a day with Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster in July 2008. Photo by Samuel Lippke.  

10:00am | Today is Ryan ZumMallen’s last day as Executive Editor of the Long Beach Post. He is moving on to a new job and we wish him the very best in his new endeavor. Ryan will remain very involved with the Long Beach Post as our new sports editor covering the diverse sports culture in Long Beach, from the prep scene and collegiate athletics to the Grand Prix, mixing local flavor with broader issues in the sports world of today.

The Long Beach Post has come a long way in the four years since Ryan joined our team. He was one of our very first writers when we launched in February 2007. Seven months later, Robert Garcia and I hired him to run the day-to-day editorial operations and help turn our idea of a media company into what it has become today. Much of our growth and success since then is attributed to Ryan’s leadership, dedication and passion for high quality journalism. Most importantly, he loves Long Beach and he did an outstanding job of telling over 3,000 stories about what makes our city so special.

Apple Inc. CEO and Chairman Steve Jobs always says, “I want to put a dent in the universe” when asked about why he is so passionate about leading the company he co-founded. Ryan has put a dent in our local media industry, our company, our family of writers and staff, and most importantly the lives of thousands of people each day who have come to depend on his words. Ryan is leaving his leadership role here much better than he found it and the net result of his legacy and his unwavering commitment to Long Beach will remain for years to come.

On a personal note, I could not be more proud of my friend, Ryan ZumMallen. When we hired him he was fresh out of Long Beach State with several years of journalism experience already under his belt. Today, he has transformed into one of the hardest working and most dedicated people I have ever known. He is kind, thoughtful and always willing to take on new challenges and new opportunities to help make this world just a little better.
 
The most important decision I will ever make as publisher is deciding who leads the day-to-day editorial operations of the Long Beach Post. Starting tomorrow, Ryan’s successor will be fellow Long Beach State grad Allison Jean Eaton. She is the former editor of the Compton Bulletin and a former staff writer for the Signal Tribune. Her high energy and ability to transform the events of the day into thought-provoking news coverage makes her a natural fit to take over what Ryan has built. She will now start the process of making her dent in Long Beach, and I am confident in her ability to do so.

Please take a moment in the comment section below to thank Ryan and welcome Allison as we embark on a new chapter of the Long Beach Post.

Shaun Lumachi
Publisher
Long Beach Post

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After four years of long hours, thousands of stories, hundreds of press conferences, a few risks and infinite rewards, today will be my final day as Executive Editor of the Long Beach Post. With a heavy and thankful heart, I would like to thank the people who made this experience possible, and most importantly, the readers who allowed me to serve them.

Co-founders Robert Garcia and Shaun Lumachi placed an incredible amount of trust in the abilities of a 22-year old kid who was still in the process of earning a college degree, and for that I can never fully express my gratitude. What they created in the Long Beach Post became the perfect template, an almost literal blank slate, and I was unbelievably given all the confidence and creative freedom that any journalist could ever ask. Thank you both for an unforgettable opportunity.

This has been the experience of a lifetime. I would like to thank the dozens of volunteer posters, writers, photographers and advisors that have generously lent their time and experience to the Long Beach Post. Their work has made this organization what it is today, and I cannot wait to watch its continued growth.

In the end, it always came back to this amazing city and its residents. I have met the most selfless, loving, dedicated community servants and activists over the last few years – many of whom I am now proud to call friends. Every day I strived to deliver a level of quality and commitment that would be worthy of this city’s deserving residents. Thank you to the people and the city of Long Beach for accepting and embracing those efforts. It was always for you.

I am not stepping away completely (as if I ever could). My ongoing role as a sportswriter, for which I was originally hired at the Long Beach Post, will continue. I’m thrilled to be able to focus more attention to the local athletics scene.

For the past eight years, Long Beach is where I have lived, been educated and employed. Just last month, I married the love of my life here in Long Beach (and if anyone deserves thanks for supporting me over these years, it’s my incredible wife Nikol). This city is in our hearts and souls and I am humbled to have had the opportunity to cover it.

Thank you, again, for your support. It has been a pleasure and an honor. 

Ryan ZumMallen
Executive Editor
Long Beach Post