SANDPOINT — There he was, sitting in the audience as taping of “The Price is Right” was set to begin. The next thing he knew, Bill Davis was in contestants’ row and guessing the retail value of an item.

Davis, the new general manager of the Bonner County Daily Bee and the Bonners Ferry Herald, had the closest guess and was soon up on stage, faced with the task of guessing if the real price of items being wheeled across the stage was higher or lower. Fortunately, he and his wife Cindy had been window shopping for similar items and Davis won the prizes.

Unfortun-ately, he wasn’t so lucky when it game to the Big Wheel — his spins totaled $1.05 and he didn’t win the right to compete in the Showcase Showdown.

“It was an incredibly fun experience,” Davis said of his 1997 game show appearance. “While traveling is my passion and something my wife and I enjoy the most, I would be hard-pressed to top that as far as fun goes. Even jumping out of an airplane, and I do that from time to time, and I thoroughly enjoy that, I don’t think you could compare any of that to being on a game show, a national game show like that, especially when Bob Barker called me his favorite contestant of all time.”

Davis comes to the Hagadone Media Group with an extensive background in advertising and marketing. He started at the Los Angeles Times, where he won multiple sales awards and was tapped to start the newspaper’s inside sales team from scratch. Davis’ career has also taken him to a variety of companies and newspaper groups, where he worked in top advertising and management positions with responsibility over print and digital products. He enjoys helping advertisers craft campaigns that make sense and are effective, covering the range from print to digital.

“My priority is to provide the very best experience to our readers and our advertisers,” he said. “I think we have an amazing team of talented and passionate professionals who all work very hard to ensure factual and trustworthy news and information is being provided. I want to continue to provide the highest possible level of service and the very best experience we can to our customers and our readers.”

Davis said his training and background in advertising and marketing help him help customers promote their businesses with campaigns that make sense, are effective and cover all media, from print to digital.

“I’m very grateful to be here and I’m looking forward to working in the community and with the community and partnering to help our advertisers grow and prosper,” he said.

Davis, who grew up in Medford, Ore., attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He said he’s excited to return to the Pacific Northwest and work with the Hagadone Media Group, noting the company’s deep roots in the region and its commitment to the communities it serves. “I knew right away in my heart of hearts this was where I was meant to be,” he added.

Davis and his wife have two grown children, Cody and Nickole; as well as two grandchildren, Riley, 11, and Ava, 5. He also has a sister in Florida and a recently discovered half-sister in Oregon.

“I’m very much looking forward to being here,” Davis said. “I think the newspaper has a tremendous opportunity and a responsibility to be a part of the community and I want to help propel that.”

He and his wife love the outdoors and enjoy everything from hiking, camping, and boating to fishing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting. They’re looking forward to being a part of the community, volunteering and being a part of civic groups such as Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce.

Clint Schroeder, regional publisher of the Hagadone Media Group, said the newspaper team is excited to welcome Davis to the Bonner County Daily Bee and Bonners Ferry Herald, noting he brings with him extensive knowledge of print, social and digital media combined with a genuine desire to help advertisers and readers.

What separated Davis from the other applicants was his passion for the industry and desire to be an active member of the community, Schroeder said.

“I am excited to be welcoming Bill to our leadership team,” Schroeder said. “His experience, leadership style and proven track record are just the things we need to help our customers and readers.”

Davis starts his new job Monday, overseeing advertising and general business operations at the Bonner County Daily Bee and the Bonners Ferry Herald.

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.