Donna Jebson, a veteran Daily Press advertising manager, has been named local retail sales director for the publishing company’s advertising sales operations, including those supporting the newspaper and its online and niche products.

Jebson first joined the Daily Press in 1980 as an ad layout assistant during a summer break from college. She progressed steadily through the advertising management ranks but left the company in October 2004 to try her hand in the home mortgage business.

The career switch was energizing, she recalls, and she “loved the interaction with homeowners, realtors and builders.” Though she “happily would have spent the rest of my days” as a home mortgage consultant, some not-so-subtle nudges from former coworkers and executives at the Daily Press brought her back into the fold to head advertising sales for the company’s newly formed niche publishing division earlier this year.

In her role as local retail sales director – one that isn’t entirely new to her, as she served in a similar capacity during her earlier tenure with the Daily Press – Jebson will direct a staff of 14 multimedia consultants that provide advertising and marketing support to retail businesses based in Hampton Roads.

“Donna’s appointment is a key tactical deployment for the Daily Press as we undertake a focused effort to fully integrate all ad sales platforms,” says Robert C. Weber, the company’s vice president of advertising. “Donna’s depth of experience and local market knowledge will be invaluable to the Daily Press as we take these important next steps.”

A native of Newport News, Jebson resides on the Middle Peninsula. She and longtime companion Jacob Licone, who oversees the address management department of the main post office serving Hampton Roads, are frequent participants in charity boating events aboard their 42-foot red, white and blue speedboat, christened the “Postage Due.”