SAN RAFAEL -- The Marin Economic Forum named Mike Kadel, central Marin regional manager for Bank of Marin, has been elected the organization's new board president.
He will take over the duties of outgoing President Harry Thomas, who served in this role since 2009.
The forum board has also elected Jon Friedenberg, chief fund and business development officer from Marin General Hospital, as secretary, assuming the responsibilities of outgoing secretary Nanda Schorske of College of Marin.
“Marin faces some unique economic challenges and they have the skills to bring people together to solve them,” said board Vice President Judy Arnold, also Marin County supervisor for District 5.
Mr. Kadel joined the board at the forum's inception in 2009. He was chairman of the Targeted Industries Committee, focused on the unique issues of Marin's agricultural, biomedical, commercial real estate, financial, health care, multimedia, software and tourism industries.
In his new role, he will support opportunities for entrepreneurs and local job creation and help promote the overall economic vitality of the region. He will also serve on the Finance Committee.
Mr. Kadel is a San Rafael resident who has worked at the bank for four years. He currently serves on the boards of Hospice by the Bay, Marin General Hospital Foundation and San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. He previously served on the Marin Literacy Board and California Family Health Council.
Mr. Friedenberg has been on the forum board for nearly a year. In addition to his responsibilities as the chief fund and business development officer for the Marin Healthcare District, he also oversees the Marin General Hospital Foundation as it develops plans and strategies to increase philanthropy.
He was vice president of El Camino Hospital, from 2002-2010, where he founded the Genomic Medicine Institute, South Asian Heart Center, The Fogarty Institute for Innovation and the Center for Technology Integration.
Other Marin Economic Forum board officers are Treasurer John Maher of Maher Accountancy. Members of the Executive Committe are Mark Abrahams of Autodesk, Patricia Kendall of Kaiser Permanente and Coy Smith of Novato Chamber of Commerce. Neil Stone is chief executive officer.