Newsroom leadership at the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier changed this week as part of a restructuring throughout The Baltimore Sun Co.'s Community Newspaper Group.

The media group, which includes 18 community newspapers published by Patuxent Publishing Co., headquartered in Columbia, and three published by Homestead Publishing, in Harford County, is operated by the Sun. All three companies are owned by the Chicago-based Tribune Co.

The restructuring follows a larger effort announced earlier this summer by Sun publisher and CEO Timothy Ryan to eliminate 100 positions throughout the Baltimore Sun Media Group. The reduction was achieved mostly through voluntary buyouts and attrition, Ryan said in an e-mail message to employees in July.

Trish Carroll, a senior vice president for the Sun company who oversees the community newspapers, announced the following changes in an e-mail to employees Aug. 7.

Paul Milton, who previously served as executive editor of the Times and Flier, was promoted to executive director of news operations for all of the company's community newspapers.

Jack Gibbons, a longtime Sun employee who previously served as an editor for the sports and features departments and baltimoresun.com, is now a managing editor for the community newspapers. Gibbons will oversee the company's Howard County newsroom and the company's Web sites, including explorehoward.com.

Elizabeth Eck, who previously served as the deputy editor of the copy desk for the Times and Flier, was promoted to serve as a managing editor for the company's Baltimore County newspapers. Sean Wallace, the assistant copy desk chief, will also move up to take Eck's position as copy desk chief of the Times and Flier.

Peter Pichaske, the former editor of the Laurel Leader, is now the news editor for the Times and Flier. Pichaske was a reporter for the Times and Flier from 2002 to 2005.

Stephen Kelly, the former deputy news editor at the Flier and Times, took a buyout from the company, he said. Kelly was employed by Patuxent since 1987.

Andrei Blakely, who worked as a reporter for the Times and Flier since 2005, also took a buyout, he said.

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