Scott Dickensheets, a veteran local journalist who edited the Las Vegas Weekly for seven years, has been named editor of CityLife.

“Scott brings a wealth of experience and creativity to CityLife’s top editorial position,” Publisher Geoff Schumacher said. “I look forward to working closely with Scott as CityLife evolves to meet the changing needs and desires of Las Vegas readers.”

Dickensheets replaces Steve Sebelius, who edited CityLife for six years before recently being hired as a political columnist by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (Both CityLife and the R-J are owned by Stephens Media LLC.)

“Steve has been the editor of CityLife ever since Stephens Media acquired the newspaper in 2005,” Schumacher said. “He has done a terrific job of leading the newspaper, as evidenced by major awards garnered at the state and national levels. We wish him the greatest success in his new position.”

Sebelius said he relished his tenure at CityLife. “Being editor of CityLife these past six years has been a privilege and an honor,” he said. “I got to work with one of the most talented group of journalists in Las Vegas, and I’m extremely proud of the work we did.”

Dickensheets, a 40-year resident of Southern Nevada, graduated from Basic High School and attended UNLV. He started his newspaper career at the Henderson Home News in the mid-1980s.

“I can remember when the only bookstore of note was the B. Dalton in the Boulevard Mall, there were just a handful of art galleries and a Democrat could still be governor,” he said. “I recall Las Vegas before the boom that preceded this bust.”

After a stint with the Allied Arts Council, handling publicity and helping to produce Arts Alive magazine, Dickensheets was hired by the Las Vegas Sun as an assistant city editor. He later served as the Sun’s assistant features editor and lifestyle columnist before transferring to the company’s city magazine, Las Vegas Life, in 1999. He started as a staff writer for the magazine and rose through the ranks to managing editor in 2002.

In 2002, Dickensheets was tapped to serve as editor of Las Vegas Weekly, CityLife’s chief competitor. He oversaw a period of dramatic growth and improvement of the Weekly. In August, Dickensheets left the Weekly to become the Sun’s metro columnist.

“I expect that Scott will build upon his considerable achievements as the Weekly editor,” Schumacher said. “He is one of the most knowledgeable people in Nevada when it comes to publishing smart and interesting newspapers and magazines.”

Also this week, CityLife named Kristy Totten to the position of news editor. In this capacity, she will take a leading role in CityLife’s web and social networking initiatives.

Totten studied magazine editing at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. A graduate of Cimarron-Memorial High School, she returned to Las Vegas in 2008 to begin her career as a special sections copy editor for the Review-Journal, where she was responsible for editing, writing and layout for the Drive automotive section, as well as CityLife’s now-defunct Ride section. In 2010, she became web content editor for the R-J’s community publications, where she advised on website design and maintained the BestofLasVegas.com website and social media pages.

“Kristy brings a vital element to the CityLife mix,” Schumacher said. “Her savvy in the digital arena, in particular, will be invaluable as we move forward.”