The board of the Marin Economic Forum (MEF) has appointed Neil Stone to serve as its first Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Stone brings a wealth of experience as a director, administrator, and consultant to public and private community economic development entities at the local, state and national levels. He will lead MEF in working to create an environment that supports start-up, expanding and entrepreneurial businesses within Marin’s economic sustainability strategy. MEF focuses on identified “targeted industries”, through retention efforts, cluster development activities, and business attraction.
“We are thrilled to welcome Neil to our growing MEF team,” said MEF Board President Harry Thomas. “We were fortunate to have dozens of applicants for the position, and a group of truly stellar finalists from which to make our final selection. With this hire, we are expanding the CEO position to a full-time role, and will continue to gain momentum as we advance our efforts to bolster economic vitality as the key to a beautiful, thriving Marin.”
“Marin is a wonderful place for businesses to attract employees to live, work and play, and MEF is playing an important role in focusing on industries that will thrive here,” said Mr. Stone. “I am honored to be selected by the board to build on the excellent work done over the past year and a half by Dr. Rob Eyler, who served as both Interim CEO and Chief Economist during MEF’s start-up phase, in addition to his duties as Chair of Economics at Sonoma State University. I am very pleased that Dr. Eyler will continue with MEF as our Chief Economist, and look forward to working with him, the board, and the broader community.”
Mr. Stone joins the Marin Economic Forum from the City of San Jose, California, where he served as Division Manager in Real Estate Services and Asset Management for 14 years. Prior to his work for the City of San Jose, Mr. Stone held the positions of CEO and President of the Napa Valley Development Corporation, and Development Manager for the Southern California Rapid Transit District Development Agency. He also worked as a consultant to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton Administration, and as a consultant to the United States Senate regarding terms and conditions for the leasing of federal lands. He was appointed as advisor by Governors Brown and Deukmejian to the California Department of Housing and Community Development and Office of Appropriate Technology.
Mr. Stone’s experience includes being an instructor and lecturer at the University of California at Los Angeles (School of Public Policy and Social Research), and the University of Southern California School (Schools of Business Administration and the School Policy Planning and Development). His work has been profiled in BARRON’S, National Real Estate Investor, Real Estate Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Urban Land and additional publications.
The Marin Economic Forum is a public-private partnership that works to enhance Marin’s economic vitality, with a focus on targeted industries, as the key to achieving local civic, environmental, and social goals.
