Thomas Mattia will step down from his post as the University’s chief communications officer and director of the Office of Public Affairs and Communications in December, Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer announced in a statement Thursday.

Mattia has served in his position since 2009 and previously worked in public affairs positions at Coca Cola, IBM and Ford. In the statement, Lorimer praised Mattia’s implementation of an online communications strategy. He will be replaced by Elizabeth Stauderman ’83 LAW ’04, who now serves as Mattia’s deputy at OPAC.

“After his impressive career serving a set of multinational enterprises including Coca-Cola and Ford, [University President Richard] Levin and I felt fortunate to have recruited Tom to come to Yale to consolidate a number of communications efforts across the campus and to work with those in the schools to shape a strategic plan that has Yale more ambitiously employing new media,” Lorimer said in the release.

As an example of Mattia’s accomplishments, Lorimer cited the Yale Daily Bulletin — OPAC’s online news outlet — which Mattia helped implement last year. OPAC will launch the next evolution of the Bulletin, called Yale News, next year, she wrote.

Stauderman, Mattia’s successor, has worked in public relations at the University for several years, Lorimer said, including in roles at the School of Management, Law School and Divinity School.

“Many of you already have worked with Elizabeth, and know first hand her considerable talents as well as her energy, her enthusiasm and her love for Yale,” Lorimer said in the release. “We look forward to collaborating closely with Elizabeth and the OPAC team in promoting our institution and telling the great stories of Yale.”

Stauderman will take over the post on Jan. 1, 2012.