Press "Enter" to skip to content

Lee Enterprises names new regional publisher for western Virginia

ROANOKE — Lee Enterprises, owner of The Daily Progress, announced today that it has named a former Gannett executive as regional publisher of the company’s western Virginia region of publications, which includes the markets of Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Bristol.

Andrew Bruns will assume the position on April 6. He will be based at The Roanoke Times.

“Andy has proven himself to be a creative, high-performing executive in our industry,” Ray Farris, Lee operating vice president and vice president of advertising, said in a news release. “He has a strong track record of developing people and driving results, and he has familiarity and appreciation for the region. He’s a great fit for this role.”

Prior to joining Lee, Bruns was a regional vice president at Gannett, overseeing operations in Hagerstown, Maryland; Somerset, Pennsylvania; Bloomington and South Bend, Indiana; Petoskey, Michigan; and Watertown and Aberdeen, South Dakota. He served as president of Herald-Mail Company in Hagerstown from 2011 to 2019.

Earlier in his career, Bruns was vice president of advertising with Main Street Media and advertising director in Merced, California. He began his career in 1987 as an account executive with The State Journal-Register and The Courier in Illinois.

“During these uncertain times, the importance of bringing accurate and timely reporting to the people we serve cannot be overstated,” Bruns said in the release. “I look forward to the privilege of continuing the excellent work done by the folks at these great properties, growing reader engagement even further, and expanding on the mission of connecting our audience with local communities and businesses.”

“I am absolutely thrilled with the opportunity to continue my professional career in this part of Virginia,” he added. “My family and I fell in love with the area several years ago while visiting Smith Mountain Lake, and since then we’ve visited as often as possible.”

Along with The Daily Progress, newspapers in Lee’s western Virginia region markets include The Roanoke Times, The (Bristol) Herald Courier, The (Lynchburg) News & Advance, The (Danville) Register & Bee, the Martinsville Bulletin, The (Waynesboro) News Virginian and several weekly newspapers.

Bruns has served on numerous non-profit boards throughout his career, most recently with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Hagerstown Committee, Leadership Washington County, and Washington County Community Foundation.

He and his wife, Jackie, have two children.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *