Sound Publishing Vice President Lori Maxim announced earlier this week that Jeff Rhodes, editor of the Port Orchard Independent, has been promoted to senior editor of the Kitsap News Group (KNG), a division of Sound Publishing.

Sound publishes the Kitsap News Group papers that include the Bainbridge Island Review, North Kitsap Herald, Central Kitsap Reporter, Bremerton Patriot, Port Orchard Independent, the monthly Kingston Community News and the Kitsap Free Daily.

Sound also publishes the Northwest Navigator for the U.S. Navy.

“We are very proud to promote Jeff to senior editor” Maxim said. “He has many years of experience and knowledge to share with our other editors.”

Rhodes, who has been a journalist for 27 years, started with KNG’s Port Orchard Independent as a reporter in 1995 and has been the paper’s editor since 2000.

In his new role, Rhodes will help mentor the editors of the group’s other newspapers while also providing general editorial assistance and oversight.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to serve in this leadership and guidance role for all our papers in the Kitsap News Group,” Rhodes said. “I’m confident that with the assistance from our other (KNG) editors we can make our already strong and vibrant group of papers even better for our readers.”

Sound Publishing is the largest publisher of community newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. Its newspapers have won numerous awards through the Washington Newspapers Publishers Association (WNPA), Suburban Newspapers Association (SNA) and Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).