Marin General Hospital’s Jon Friedenberg Elected Board Secretary; New Officers to Support Organization’s Goals for Economic Development in Marin County

SAN RAFAEL, CA, August 19, 2011 – The Marin Economic Forum (MEF) has announced that 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 board president, Harry Thomas, who served in this role since 2009. MEF has also elected Jon Friedenberg, Chief Fund and Business Development Officer from Marin General Hospital, as the new Board Secretary assuming the responsibilities of outgoing Board Secretary Nanda Schorske (College of Marin).

Kadel and Friedenberg join fellow Board Officers, Vice President Judy Arnold (Marin Board of Supervisors) and Treasurer, John Maher (Maher Accountancy), as well as executive committee members, Mark Abrahams (Autodesk), Patricia Kendall (Kaiser Permanente), and Coy Smith (Novato Chamber of Commerce). They all work closely with Neil Stone, Chief Executive Officer of MEF, to execute initiatives aimed at strengthening Marin’s local economy.

The Marin Economic Forum (www.marineconomicforum.org) was created through a partnership of local government, educational institutions, non-profits and private entities devoted to enhancing Marin's economy through support of start-up, expanding and entrepreneurial businesses while preserving Marin's environment and commitment to social equality. MEF also publishes three annual economic reports with detailed demographic and economic data about Marin County and each of its municipalities as well as Targeted Industries.

Kadel joined the Board of MEF at its inception in 2009 and was Chair of the Targeted Industries Committee focused on the unique issues of Marin’s agricultural, bio-medical, 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.

Kadel currently serves on the Board of Hospice by the Bay, Marin General Hospital Foundation Board, and San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. He previously served on the Marin Literacy Board and California Family Health Council. Kadel has been employed at Bank of Marin for four years and in his current role as Central Marin Regional Manager works closely with businesses to help create new opportunities and solve problems on a day-to-day basis. He is a resident of San Rafael and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

“The Marin Economic Forum is an important entity working to preserve and promote the vitality of this County and we will all benefit greatly from Mike and Jon’s leadership and vision,” said Judy Arnold, Marin County Supervisor, District 5. “Marin faces some unique economic challenges and they have the skills to bring people together to solve them.”

Friedenberg has been on the Marin Economic 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. Most recently 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. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from University of California at Berkeley, a Master’s Degree from University of California at Davis, and was a fellow at Wexner Heritage Foundation.

“We are proud to have Mike and Jon assume these important roles on the Board of the Marin Economic Forum,” said Neil Stone, Chief Executive Officer. Together, they bring a valuable combination of financial expertise, business experience and knowledge of non-profit organizations to lead us forward and achieve our goals of supporting economic growth and vitality in Marin County.”