Otis M. Raybon Jr., a veteran newspaper publisher who has worked in newspapers throughout the state for more than four decades, has been named president of the Georgia Press Association.

The GPA is conducting its annual meeting this weekend in Miramar Beach, Fla. Raybon has served on GPA’s board of directors for four years, most recently in the role of treasurer.

Raybon has been vice president of Rome-based News Publishing Company since 1998 and publisher of the Rome News-Tribune since 2008.

News Publishing Company is the parent firm of the Rome News-Tribune, Walker County Messenger, Calhoun Times, Catoosa County News, Cherokee County (Ala.) Herald, Cedartown Standard and Rockmart Journal.

The company also publishes the award-winning Past Times magazine, Magnolia magazine, and has an active online presence in addition to its print publications.

Raybon got involved in the newspaper industry when he was 11 years old as a delivery boy for his hometown Griffin Daily News. He worked his way through every corner of the newsroom through high school and college.

A graduate of Gordon College and Georgia State University, Raybon has served as advertising manager and publisher of the Griffin Daily News and the Valdosta Daily Times. He was also publisher of the Americus Times Re-corder and the Dalton Daily Citizen.

He has also been involved with the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and the Inland Press Association.

A strong advocate for Georgia’s technical colleges, he also represents the 11th Congressional District on the Technical College System of Georgia board of directors.

Raybon is an active member of the Rome community. He is a past chairman of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce board and past chairman of the Rome-Floyd Development Authority. He is currently treasurer of RFDA.

A member of First Baptist Church of Rome, Raybon and his wife, Barbara, have two adult sons.

GPA, an advocate for more than 140 newspapers and news gathering organizations throughout the state since 1887, offers educational and networking opportunities for its members and also provides scholarships and internships through the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.