COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County is growing, so why shouldn't its newspaper?

Before summer officially arrives, The Press will open the doors of its new facility in downtown Coeur d'Alene. The new building represents just one tangible proof of the local newspaper's expansion, however. You've also got to have people.

"And we've hired some of the very best," said Publisher Jim Thompson.

Since the first of the year, Thompson has been on a quest to bolster the newspaper's sales force. He has promoted two Press veterans: Denise Mai to director of sales, and Kari Packer to special sections sales manager. He's also hired a handful of marketing experts experienced in print, online and broadcast media sales.

"I'm excited about our opportunities to continue growing with all the cities in Kootenai County," Thompson said. "The addition of these new team members times perfectly with our plans to move into our new and expanded offices in downtown Coeur d'Alene in June."

Here are the latest promotions and additions:

DENISE MAI

Director of sales

An Orofino native and 1991 University of Idaho graduate who majored in communications and advertising, Denise joined The Press in 2012 after years in advertising in Spokane. She started her career as the Spokane Journal of Business classified advertising director before moving to the Spokesman-Review as an account executive and training coordinator.

A former star track athlete, Denise is still moving at top speed. Her charge is to help The Press marketing staff help their clients' businesses grow by leaps and bounds - a role she relishes.

"I'm passionate about advertising and this community," she said. "Working doesn't seem like working to me because it's so much fun."

Thompson said she's a perfect fit.

"Denise's education and marketing experience are an asset to all of our customers," he said. "Her motivation to help customers achieve the best results for their marketing dollars matches the goals of this newspaper. She brings the same passion to our team that she gave the University of Idaho and Orofino High School, where she once held the triple-jump record."

Denise, an avid tennis player, and her husband, Mike, have two children: Olivia, a junior at Coeur d'Alene High School, and Jake, a freshman at University of Idaho.

KARI PACKER

Special sections sales manager

Also a Vandal, Kari graduated from University of Idaho in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in public communications and a minor in political science. While in college, Kari worked for University Residences as a resident assistant and an assistant resident director her senior year. After graduating,

Kari worked in retail as a store manager for New York and Co. in Spokane until she found her true calling professionally; In 2005 she moved to Coeur d'Alene and started working at The Press. Her recent promotion follows years as one of the newspaper's top salespeople.

"Kari's leadership and drive are a contagious element in our marketing department," Thompson said. "Her organization and follow through are essential in a complex marketing environment involving multiple distribution channels and products to match advertisers' needs with consumer demands."

When she's not helping customers, Kari is busy shopping, gardening, and most of all, tending to her family's needs. She and her husband, Jon, have five children: Zach, 17; Jonathan, 11; Jordan, 10; Sydni, 7; and Hannah, 1.

RENEE FAST

Digital marketing director

Renee Fast joins The Press from Pensacola, Fla., where she spent five years as senior digital specialist for Gannett. She brings with her extensive experience and expertise in the world of online advertising, and she said she enjoys working closely with local businesses to help them exceed their business objectives.

Recognized as one of Gannett's top 30 advertising representatives nationwide, Renee is excited to make Coeur d'Alene home with her husband, Johnny.

REGAN McCLIMENT-CALL

Sales & marketing consultant

Mai isn't the only athlete on the marketing team. Regan earned an athletic scholarship and played basketball for Gonzaga University, where she received a bachelor's degree.

Since then, she's worked in advertising for more than 15 years, focusing on radio and television in Washington and Idaho. Regan spent the majority of her career in radio, where she received numerous awards and recognition as being a top performer.

Regan lives in Post Falls with her husband, Patrick, and three kids. Her son, Tanner, is a freshman at Post Falls High School, and twin girls Tyler and Jacksen are seventh-graders at River City Middle School.

JOHN BRITTON

Sales & marketing consultant

You name it, John's sold it.

Billboards, bus ads, bus benches, SEM/SEO, PPC, websites, mobile sites, social media and print ads in guide books and magazines.

Oh, yeah: Plenty of print advertising in the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls Press, too.

A Washington State University graduate, Britton has been in marketing since the early 1990s, recently moving from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene to join The Press. He has two sons: Chase, 9, and Cole, 10.

CHERYL FREEMAN

Sales & marketing consultant

One of the newest faces at The Press is also one of the most familiar. Cheryl is back working in the advertising and marketing department after serving as a sales manager at Silverwood Theme Park.

A 10-year veteran at The Press before joining Silverwood, Cheryl has won numerous sales and marketing awards for ad design and making marketing campaigns that work for her customers. She's involved in the community with such organizations as St. Vincent de Paul, Cool connections group, and is on the leadership committee for Women in Business. In her spare time she likes to scuba dive, boat, golf and spend time with her high school sweetheart and husband, Ken Freeman.

TODD HOGAN

Sales and marketing consultant, North Idaho Business Journal and CDA Magazine

A pair of powerful periodicals are Todd's focus with The Press. He's responsible for sales in the North Idaho Business Journal, a monthly publication, and in CDA Magazine, which is being published twice annually.

Todd has been in the advertising/marketing business for over 18 years, working at daily newspapers in Lewiston, Moscow and Spokane before joining The Press in February. A University of Idaho graduate, Todd enjoys camping, fly fishing, hiking and his family cabin in North Idaho. Todd and his wife, Lenaya, have two children and live in Liberty Lake.

According to the newspaper's publisher, the needs of businesses today exceed those of any other generation. With the promotions and additions joining an already strong marketing staff, Thompson said, The Press is poised for a great future.

"Today's marketing professionals need to understand a very complex mix of media to meet the needs of today's businesses," he said. "We're very proud of our ability to reach over 50 percent of Kootenai County's residents through readership of The Press in print and several other online and mobile channels as a mass medium, but businesses today need more ways to compete in a complex and competitive marketing arena. Our new additions round out our team and our ability to implement marketing solutions on print and digital platforms.

"This is an exciting time to be in the newspaper business, especially in North Idaho."