The Cd'A Press welcomes new publisher

COEUR d’ALENE — Larry Riley and his wife, Linda, loved visiting the Coeur d’Alene area about a dozen times over four years while their son, Sean, was studying at Gonzaga University.

Now this is home.

Riley, 56, was named publisher of The Press on Monday by Brad Hagadone, president of The Hagadone Corp.’s newspaper division. Riley will oversee all aspects of the newspaper’s operations, replacing Jim Thompson, who has retired.

“We received an unbelievable response and ended up with many top candidates to choose from across the country,” Hagadone said. “The demand was created by the fact that Coeur d’Alene is such a favorable place to live and our newspaper has an excellent reputation. We feel very fortunate to have hired Larry, who has been in the newspaper industry his entire adult working career with some of the finest newspaper groups in the country. We think he’ll be a great asset for the CDA Press along with our overall newspaper group.”

Hagadone also said Riley distinguished himself with an “exceptional sales background.”

“Larry really understands how to use newspapers on multiple platforms as great tools for advertising,” he said. “He’s built terrific sales teams that have consistently delivered effective marketing for their clients.”

A San Diego native, Riley said he was drawn to the area by some of the same things that have attracted so many others. He described the first time he and his family visited, about this time of year.

“The landscape just came alive, especially coming from California, where the palm trees don’t change color,” he said.

But the gorgeous scenery was only part of the selling point.

Riley said private newspaper ownership in general and the Hagadone newspaper group in particular hold strong appeal.

“Newspapers are institutions,” he said. “Yes, they’re for-profit businesses, but they’re a vital voice in the community and excellent advertising vehicles. I see a future in community journalism in markets our size that is very healthy, very strong.”

Riley said the timing was right for the move from Spartanburg, S.C., where he was publisher of the Herald-Journal for more than two years. His career has taken the Rileys from southern California to Florida, Minnesota, South Carolina and now, North Idaho.

“Early in my career when Sean was young, moving was all about learning, career growth, and it was an adventure, from the alligators in Florida to the ice fishing in Minnesota,” he said. “This is the right place for us in our life and in my profession.”

Hagadone said one of the best attributes he found in Riley was his track record of strong civic involvement.

“Larry is a very dynamic leader with excellent communication skills, very community oriented with a thorough understanding of the major importance a community newspaper provides for the people it serves,” he said.

While Riley said he’s going to take some time to learn more about the community and the newspaper before considering any significant changes, he indicated the Opinions and Op-Ed pages would be one area of focus.

“I respectfully recognize the powerful voice the opinions pages provide in leading the way for community discussion,” he said.

“Letters to the editor are among the most highly read parts of a community newspaper.”

He also said he’s a firm believer in the “tremendous advantages” digital delivery of news and advertising provide, particularly on a mobile platform.

“I’m very much a digital advocate,” he said. “It clearly is our future, where print and digital co-exist.”

Riley said he has “a heart for youth issues,” particularly for young boys who need role models. Riley and his brother grew up in a single-parent household in the San Diego area, and the boys lived in a Catholic orphanage for about a year while their mother recovered from a serious accident.

“Especially from the ages of about 8 to 12, a lot of boys can benefit from having someone they can look up to,” he said.