Michael Wagar, Executive Editor,
Lafromboise Communications, Inc.
Photo courtesy: The [Centralia] Chronicle


– Editor’s Note:
While this news was published last week in The Chronicle, out of courtesy to their readers I waited until the NVN posted online in Yelm today: “Michael Wagar Named Chronicle Publisher, President of Lafromboise Communications”

With Wagar now President of President of Lafromboise Communications, there will not be much change in the short-term, as he will have his hands full now in all of these posts: Publisher of the Centralia-based Lafromboise flag-ship newspaper The Chronicle, Yelm-based Nisqually Valley News (NVN), Battle Ground-based The Reflector, plus incoming President of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Assn. (WNPA). Lafromboise newspapers follow a “conservative” edge in their reporting and Wagar is a perfect fit to continue that policy under the same owners. As such, this news was even published on the House Republicans Capitol Buzz website, April 2nd.

We can expect Wagar to select a new Editor for the NVN that shares this same philosophy, as did his predecessor Keven Graves, who left the NVN to become Executive Editor & Publisher of the Whidbey News-Times. Interestingly, Graham Peredinia was a reporter for Wagar at the NVN, recently working for The Chronicle in Centralia, where Wagar will be based. And Megan Hansen worked her way to Asst. Editor for Graves at the NVN in 2007-2012, now working for Keven Graves as Editor for Whidbey News Group. Graves is Publisher and Executive Editor of the Whidbey News Group, owned by Sound Publishing, Inc.


– About President of Lafromboise Communications, Michael Wagar:
* External Communications Advisor for TransAlta Centralia, multi-national power co., thru 2001.
* Executive Managing Editor of The Chronicle, Centralia, 2001-2013,
* Publisher and Editor, Nisqually Valley News, Feb. 2013-March 2018,
* President of Lafromboise Communications, beginning April 2018.
* Incoming President of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Assn. (WNPA)


Best wishes to Michael Wagar in his new positions.
While remaining Publisher of the Nisqually Valley News, his day-to-day interactions around Yelm will be greatly diminished, though his presence will be felt in the Editor he hires here and the guidance he provides.


– “Michael Wagar Named Chronicle Publisher, President of Lafromboise Communications”
“After 30 years at The Chronicle and more than six years as publisher of The Chronicle and president of Lafromboise Communications, Christine Fossett said goodbye to the newspaper this week [resigned as of March 30, 2018] as Michael Wagar prepared to take her place at the organization’s helm.”

“Wagar was most recently publisher of the Nisqually Valley News and regional executive editor of that newspaper, The Chronicle and the The Reflector in Battle Ground. All three newspapers are owned by Lafromboise Communications,” by The Chronicle, Centralia, published March 30, 2018.
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