The Houston Chronicle has promoted Jay Lee to deputy sports editor and has hired Nick Mathews as online sports editor.
Both move into their new positions effective Feb. 28.
Lee, in his second stint at the Houston Chronicle, has been the online sports editor since late August 2009.
He was with the Chronicle from July 1994 to March 2005, beginning as a slot/copy chief and winding up as assistant sports editor.
He was assistant sports editor at the Rocky Mountain News when he joined that paper in March 2005.
He became deputy Internet news editor — serving in the that role when the Democratic National Convention was in Denver — and was in that role when paper folded in February 2009.
Lee started his journalism career as a 20-year-old agate clerk at the Dallas Times Herald. He went to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and the Raleigh News & Observer before joining the Houston Chronicle.
"A lot of my new role is familiar," Lee said, "but because we have to think about print and online in our jobs and how to effectively integrate them, I think my two years of working online has been an invaluable experience."
Mathews comes to the Chronicle from the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press, where he has been sports editor since January 2008.
Mathews came to the Daily Press as assistant sports editor overseeing the copy desk in April 2007.
The section received numerous APSE awards under Mathews' guidance.
"It was a very difficult decision to leave the Daily Press," Mathews said. "But the opportunity in Houston was just too good to pass up.
"I'm so very proud of the work we have done the last four years. This staff is just unbelievable. I'm going to miss them all so, so much."
Houston is getting ready to host the Final Four and the Houston Shell Open in April.
"I'm very much looking forward to the challenge," Mathews said.
Mathews, a University of Missouri graduate, had stops in Decatur, Ill.; Fremont, Ohio; and Athens, Ga.
MID-ATLANTIC
Philadelphia Inquirer: Ashley Fox is now a general columnist.
Sunbury (Pa.) Daily Item: Hired Scott Dudinskie, who had been working on a freelance basis in recent years. Dudinskie previously worked at the Bloomsburg (Pa.) Press-Enterprise.
Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News: Eric Thomas has rejoined the writing staff.
Washington Post: Named Jason Reid columnist. During four years with the Post, Reid has been the Redskins beat writer. He also has covered the NBA and Major League Baseball during his journalism career.
SOUTHEAST
Charlotte (Fla.) Sun-Herald: Hired Mark Lawrence, formerly an assistant sports editor at The State of Columbia, S.C., as deputy sports editor.
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Former Antelope Valley Press sports editor Toby Carrig, after a brief stop on the sports copy desk at the Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review, is now assistant managing editor at the Ste. Genevieve (Mo.) Herald.
