Josh O’Connor has been named publisher of The Everett Daily Herald, effective May 1. O’Connor will continue to serve as vice president of Sound Publishing, Inc., a position he has held since 2008.
Sound Publishing President Gloria Fletcher made the announcement and introduced O’Connor to The Herald employees Wednesday afternoon.
“Josh is an accomplished publisher with extensive experience in print and digital operations. His expertise is truly multi-faceted. He has been part of community weeklies and dailies in both print and online, magazines and multiple start up publications in both the US and Canada” Fletcher said.“Since we announced the Herald purchase in early February, I have reviewed many resumes and talked with quite a few very talented executives interested in the position. It became apparent that we (Sound Publishing) had the good fortune of having the right person already on board,” Fletcher added.
As Vice President of East Sound Newspaper Operations, O’Connor was responsible for 18 publications as well as Sound Publishing’s press operation in Everett. He has been with Black Press, Ltd., Sound Publishing’s parent company, since 1998, serving in various capacities.
He was an instrumental part of the acquisition team that helped establish the daily Honolulu Star-Advertiser as Hawaii’s number one source for news and advertising. He returned to Black Press’ Canadian operations in 2002, where he took on a few publishing roles, including a four-year stint at the Richmond Review and the South Delta Leader.
He went on to publish the Abbotsford News and the Mission City Record, one of Black Press’ largest community weeklies, which included a product mix of two free dailies, an entertainment publication, a weekly real estate publication and a centralized printing facility.
“I enjoy the challenging dynamics of building successful community publications,” O’Connor said. “I am committed to delivering relevant, local news that directly affects the lives of those who raise families and work in the communities that Sound serves, including Everett.”
O’Connor sat on the board of the Local Media Association and is an active contributor to many community organizations throughout the Puget Sound.Josh married his high school sweetheart, Erin, and they have two girls, Lauren, 6, and Mailie, 3. They live in Issaquah.
