• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Features
  • Campus News
  • CSUDH.edu
  • Contact
  • People
    • Staff Spotlight
    • Faculty Highlights
    • Alumni
  • Magazine
  • For Journalists
    • CSUDH In The News
    • Press Releases
    • Facts and Figures
    • Find Media Experts
    • Gallery

CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

You are here: Home / Archive / Features / CSU Dominguez Hills Alumna Arleene Valdez Takes on Big Events for the LA Times

CSU Dominguez Hills Alumna Arleene Valdez Takes on Big Events for the LA Times

August 30, 2016

Arleene Valdez“Baptism by rain” is what Cal State Dominguez Hills alumna Arleene Valdez (’11,  B.A., communications, minor in marketing) calls her first assignment as a planner of consumer events at the Los Angeles Times after it rained on the newspaper’s annual Festival of Books for the first time in its 20-year history.

Fortunately, the festival is so popular that it still had its largest turnout to date in April 2016 as its long-time fans and newcomers—more than 100,000s attendees—broke out umbrellas or just got wet as they strolled the entire USC campus to find books, and enjoy literary speakers, performers, and food. All the while, Valdez and her colleagues in the Times’ events department were running around tackling issues as they occurred.

“This was my first event at the Times and I was still trying to figure things out,” said Valdez, a first-generation college student born in Brawley, California, which is just across the border from where she lived in Mexicali, Mexico. “People really love the festival—nothing can stop them. It was an interesting day for sure. I think once you (an event organizer) go through something like that, you can do any event.”

Valdez and her team are responsible for the production and “programming” of the national daily newspaper’s large events, which consists of working with and coordinating logistics with guest speakers, artists, groups, and others—particularly sponsors—from initial planning until the events end.

They also coordinate events for Hoy, the Times-owned Spanish-language newspaper, and smaller events such as monthly business forums, “watch parties” for political debates, screenings for the Academy Awards, as well as editorial events such as location setups for LA Times political writers at the recent presidential conventions. Currently, the department is preparing for the “Los Angeles Times Presents: Return of the Rams,” on Sept. 15, an evening celebrating the legacy of the NFL franchise and its return to Los Angeles.

“Every time we put together a successful event the expectations go up, said Valdez. “It validates our success, and we love helping our newspaper grow and continue its work of informing and educating so many people.”

Valdez not only earned her bachelor’s degree at CSUDH, she also began her event planning career at the university during her senior year. She worked as a New Student Orientation event coordinator, then took a full-time coordinator position in University Ceremonies and Events in 2012.

“The work I did at Cal State Dominguez Hills helped me prepare for my job at the LA Times in every possible way,” she said. “When I worked at University Ceremonies and Events, which was just a two-person department then, that’s when I really began to understand the scope of large events. Now, when thrown into large projects, I am able to manage the workload and stress well.”

When I worked at University Ceremonies and Events, which was just a two-person department then, that’s when I really began to understand the scope of large events. Now, when thrown into large projects, I am able to manage the workload and stress well. – Arleene Valdez

Valdez looks forward to her future at the Times. As a “foodie,” she is exciting about her department’s production of the “The Taste,” a “celebration of Los Angeles’ best food and wine” that will take place Labor Day weekend at Paramount Pictures Studios.

“The space is smaller than USC, but it’s still a huge event with more than 100 of the best restaurants in L.A. coming throughout the weekend,” said Valdez.” The sponsors are bringing in chefs to cook and/or prepare cocktails to go along with the theme–they’re doing custom activations, and all kinds of fun things. It’s a ton of work and it will be nice when it’s all done, but I’m really looking forward to it. These are the things that make my job so great.”

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: Alumni, Communications

Recent Features

CSUDH Mental Health Resources Expand and Adapt

CSUDH Mental Health Resources Expand and Adapt

May 11, 2022

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing hardships, college students were not immune to the nation’s widespread rise in mental health issues. Studies from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) found that pre-COVID, one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 had a diagnosable mental ... Read More

2022 Faculty Awards Reception

2022 Faculty Awards Honor Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service

May 4, 2022

2022 Faculty Excellence Recipients CSUDH honored five faculty members during the 2022 Faculty Awards Reception on May 3 for their excellence in teaching and research, their contributions to university governance and development, and for the role non-tenure track faculty play in student achievement. Watch the event ... Read More

CSUDH Biology Professor Recognized for Research

CSUDH Biology Professor Recognized for Research

April 13, 2022

CSUDH Associate Professor of Biology Sonal Singhal has been honored by the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) for her research work on lizard speciation. Her paper “Strong Selection Against Hybrids Maintains a Narrow Contact Zone Between Morphologically Cryptic Lineages in a Rainforest Lizard” was named one of ... Read More

... see all Featured Stories

Footer

California State University, Dominguez Hills Logo

1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747
1-310-243-2001 • Send Email

Related Sites

  • csudh.edu
  • magazine.csudh.edu
  • gotoros.com

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get CSUDH News directly in your inbox

Copyright © 2022 · California State University, Dominguez Hills