Chris Bessler is the president and founder of Keokee media + marketing, which publishes Sandpoint Magazine and regional books as well as provides website design, development and digital marketing services for companies locally and nationally. He grew up in the small logging town of Glide, Oregon, and graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1978. Chris moved that year to northern Idaho – a “career move” as he says – for his first journalism job, first as a reporter and editor at the Bonners Ferry Herald and then as editor for the Sandpoint Daily Bee. After a few years away pursuing media jobs in Philadelphia and the Bay Area, Chris returned to Sandpoint in 1990 to launch Keokee.

He is married to Sandy and they have two young granddaughters soon to enter school, courtesy of son Nate and wife Brooke, who are both Sandpoint High graduates. Brooke now teaches at Sandpoint Middle School, where her dad, Dave Demers, was athletic director and coach for many years. Nate works at Kochava.

Chris served on the Panhandle Alliance for Education board of directors from 2006-2019, graduating to emeritus that year.