Mercer Island publisher Eric LaFontaine was recently named publisher of the Seattle Weekly, in addition to the newspapers he oversees for Sound Publishing’s Eastside news group.

The group also consists of the Bellevue Reporter, Bothell/Kenmore, Issaquah/Sammamish, Kirkland, and Redmond Reporter newspapers, as well as the Snoqualmie Valley Record.

“With the Seattle Weekly now part of my newspaper group, our strength lies in our staff and tremendous journalism talent we have in the field on the daily basis,” LaFontaine said, adding, “Our audience drives our vision forward and with our audience at the forefront, our path becomes a little more clear each day.”

A Richland, Washington native, LaFontaine received 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.