Bringing his longtime passion for community journalism and digital savvy, Eric LaFontaine was recently named the new regional publisher of Sound Publishing’s Eastside news group, which includes the Snoqualmie Valley Record.

The group also consists of the Bellevue, Issaquah/Sammamish, Kirkland, Mercer Island and Redmond Reporter newspapers.

LaFontaine was most recently the publisher of the daily Columbia Basin Herald, the largest newspaper in Grant County, as well as the Hagadone Media-owned weekly newspapers in the Moses Lake area.

“To say that I am excited would be an understatement,” LaFontaine said. “Now is the perfect time to continue engaging with readers in print, while pushing a digital strategy forward.”

LaFontaine succeeds William Shaw, who will continue to serve as general manager of the Issaquah/Sammamish and Snoqualmie Valley publications. Shaw has lived in Issaquah for 30 years and is the past publisher of the Valley Record; his new role will allow him to focus closer to home for those two markets.

“I look forward to continuing my renewed focus on business development and community building in Issaquah, Sammamish and the communities of the Snoqualmie Valley,” Shaw said.

A Richland native, LaFontaine holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington, and an MBA from Regis University. He also served as a journalist in the Naval Reserve.

He and his wife, Ali, have three children in college with a fourth as a junior in high school. He and his family live in Beaux Arts.