Washington ? The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has named a new director and editor in chief for Catholic News Service, which supplies news to diocesan newspapers and other media outlets worldwide.

Anthony Spence, executive director of Advancement Communications at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, will take over on Feb. 1, succeeding Thomas Lorsung, who is retiring.

At Vanderbilt, Spence oversaw publication of more than a dozen magazines and newsletters.

He served from 1989 to ’98 as editor in chief and general manager at Tennessee Register Inc., which publishes the newspaper of the Diocese of Nashville. He also worked for six years as the diocese’s communications director.

He is a former president of the Catholic Press Assn. and served on the advisory board of the Catholic Communication Campaign.