SANDPOINT — Alsy Brinkmeyer is settling in this week as advertising director and general manager for the Bonner County Daily Bee, Bonners Ferry Herald and Priest River Times.

“We had a lot of qualified folks express an interest in leading these newspapers, and we wanted to take our time to find the right person,” said Northern Idaho Regional Publisher Larry Riley.

“Alsy comes to us very grounded and with great credentials, having consistently grown in a variety of leadership roles at Swift Communications since ‘98.”

For the past eight years with Swift, Brinkmeyer worked for the Sierra Nevada Media Group, serving as the regional classified sales director for five years, general manager of The Big Nickel in Reno for two years, and most recently, general manager of the Northern Nevada Business Weekly for a year. Prior to that, Brinkmeyer began her career at The News Review in Roseburg, Ore., also under the Swift umbrella, where she served as classified advertising manager and various other roles between 1998-2011.

Brinkmeyer was born in Puyallup, Wash., and grew up in Roseburg. Eight years ago, Swift executives recruited Brinkmeyer to move to the company headquarters in Carson City, Nevada. However, getting back to the Pacific Northwest was at the top of her list.

“I wanted to be a little bit closer to my family — my family is all in Washington and Oregon,” Brinkmeyer said.

Besides the location, Brinkmeyer said one thing that attracted her to the position in North Idaho is that the Hagadone business model is similar to that of Swift. Swift is a family-owned media company, much like Hagadone Corporation, she said, so that was “enticing.”

Brinkmeyer said she’s passionate about the newspaper business and knows that, especially in small towns, newspapers are essential.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time, and believe that small town community newspapers play an important role in the community,” Brinkmeyer said. “We inform and connect people; we encourage conversation in our communities and everyday we get to help businesses meet their goals through marketing initiatives.”

Beyond experience, Riley said, what really separated Brinkmeyer from the pack was her passionate desire to join the newspaper group and call North Idaho home.

“Alsy has an appetite for traditional media and also understands the need for us to provide digital advertiser and reader solutions,” Riley said.

“Consumers are going to choose the platform. We need to be there leading the way. I didn’t need to sell her on the natural beauty of our area, nor the hometown feel that welcomed me. I think Alsy’s going to be great for our newspapers and the community.”

Brinkmeyer officially started in the position at the Daily Bee Monday, overseeing advertising and general business operations, after moving to Sandpoint about a week ago.

“I love it,” Brinkmeyer said of her experience so far in Sandpoint. “People are so friendly.”

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.