Sonoma Media Investments hires two executives

Two Bay Area advertising executives, Karleen Arnink-Pate and José del Castillo, have joined Sonoma Media Investments, which owns The Press Democrat and four other North Bay publications.

Arnink-Pate was named chief revenue officer, where she will be responsible for all revenue from advertising and digital products and services.

Del Castillo was named chief digital revenue officer, where he will be responsible for revenue from the company’s digital products.

Most recently, Arnink-Pate served as vice president of strategic revenue and retail advertising director at the San Francisco Chronicle and its online operation, SFGate.com. She also served as advertising director at the Reno Gazette-Journal, the Honolulu Advertiser, Patuxent Publishing Co. and Lake County Publishing, which produces the Lake County Record-Bee.

“Karleen is one of the best advertising/digital sales executives in the business today, understands the importance of great customer service and is a motivational leader,” said Steve Falk, CEO of Sonoma Media Investments.

Del Castillo served as director of digital sales at SFGate.com and North Bay sales manager for the San Francisco Chronicle. He also was owner, publisher and editor of El Mensajero, the largest Spanish-language weekly newspaper in the Bay Area. He operated the San Francisco newspaper for 11 years until he sold the publication in 2004. He then founded SpendLocally.com, an online mall of local merchants.

“José has been the driving force behind the revenue success of SFGate, one of the top newspaper websites in the country,” Falk said.

In addition to The Press Democrat, Sonoma Media Investments owns ?the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier, North Bay Business ?Journal and Sonoma Magazine.