Tribune Publishing, a division of Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), today announced that Rondra J. (Ronnie) Matthews has been named president, publisher and chief executive officer of The Baltimore Sun Company. Matthews has served as president, publisher and chief executive officer of Daily Press, Inc., Newport News, Va., since July 2000.

Matthews will assume her new duties on October 1. Ernie Gates, vice president/editor at the Daily Press, will serve as acting publisher at the newspaper when Matthews takes on her new position.

“Ronnie is a proven leader with a track record of success as a publisher,” said Bob Gremillion, Tribune Publishing group vice president, and acting publisher of The Sun. “In addition, she gained extensive hands-on experience in managing large-scale newspaper operations during 20 years of service at the Orlando Sentinel — I am confident she’ll do a great job.”

Matthews served as vice president/general manager of Orlando Sentinel Communications from 1999 to 2000, capping a career that started in the human resources department, and included leadership positions in advertising, operations, business development and planning.

“The Sun has a legacy of excellent journalism and service to the community,” said Matthews. “The combination of a widely-read newspaper, its website, baltimoresun.com, and an important family of community newspapers, makes The Sun the definitive source for news that is locally relevant and useful to readers — information they can’t find anywhere else. Baltimore is an exciting market and I look forward to serving our print and online audiences, as well as our advertisers and the community in creative new ways.”

A native of Inglewood, Calif., Matthews holds a master’s degree in business administration from Rollins College and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from High Point University.

Matthews serves on the boards of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, the Hampton Roads Partnership, the Virginia Air and Space Center and Greater Peninsula NOW. She is past chair of the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula board of directors and vice chair of WHRO Public Broadcasting board of directors.