
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994                    TAG: 9406300546 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B1    EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA  
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: 940630                                 LENGTH: NAGS HEAD

SPEER CHOSEN TO HEAD PILOT'S N.C. OPERATIONS

{LEAD} Ronald L. Speer has been named North Carolina editor and general manager for The Virginian-Pilot, beginning July 1.

The general manager position is being created to focus the newspaper's North Carolina operations, and to better serve subscribers in North Carolina.

{REST} ``Eastern North Carolina has sometimes been called the sixth city of Hampton Roads because of its strong ties to the Hampton Roads region,'' said Cole C. Campbell, editor of The Virginian-Pilot. ``Ron is going to be in a great position to see how the newspaper can better serve the community.

``We want Ron to clarify our overall business strategy and relationship to the community. He's an excellent community-based journalist.''

In his new position, Speer, who has been the acting North Carolina editor since May 1, will oversee the news, circulation and advertising departments in the newspaper's Nags Head and Elizabeth City offices. Speer also will continue editing and writing a weekly column for The Carolina Coast weekly tabloid.

In 17 years with The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Speer has been a key player in building and sustaining news and editorial operations in the Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach offices.

He coordinated the coverage of Chesapeake stories that won a Pulitzer Prize in 1984. He also has been a leader of the overall newsroom as assistant managing editor for the coordinating desk, business editor, writing coach and most recently community editor-in-chief.

Before coming to The Virginian-Pilot, Speer served as a Southeastern sports editor for The Associated Press and covered the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

In 1992, Speer was part of a crew representing Virginia that sailed a 35-foot boat from Spain to the New World - retracing Columbus' historic voyage of 500 years earlier.

``I'm delighted to become a permanent resident of North Carolina,'' said Speer, who has anchored his sailboat off Roanoke Island. ``I hope to be here a long time.''

{KEYWORDS} APPOINTMENT

by CNB