People: Week of Sept. 17, 2012

Business Journal Staff Report
Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:00:35 +0000
Banking and Finance, Business Register, Construction, Health Care and Senior Living, Industry News, nonprofits, North Bay News, People, Technology, Wine Industry, Bank of Marin, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Burbank Housing, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Grgich Hills Estate, North Bay Business Journal 9-17-2012, Sutter Medical Foundation, SWA Group, Wilson Daniels

Banking and Finance
Bank of Marin promoted Mike Kadel to first vice president. Mr. Kadel is now in charge of Bank of Marin's northern and central Marin regions and responsible for overseeing five branches, including three in San Rafael and two in Novato. He has more than 20 years of commercial banking experience and community leadership roles. Mr. Kadel is president of the board for Marin Economic Forum and serves on the boards of Hospice by the Bay, Marin General Hospital Foundation and San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.
Construction

SWA Group, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm, named Chih-Wei Lin as a principal in the Sausalito office. Ms. Lin, who joined SWA in 2003, is a licensed landscape architect in California active in landscape design throughout the U.S and internationally. She received a master of landscape architecture degree from Harvard School of Design, and has worked on recent projects including Stanford University campus center, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Beth El Sanctuary, SIP administrative center, Suzhou Center, Ningbo East Town Eco-Corridor, Pearl River Tower, Bangalore Varthur Residences and Jakarta Senayan Square.
Health Care

Sutter Medical Foundation announced the arrival of board-certified family medicine physician Nigel Brandstater, M.D. He is now serving the greater Vallejo community through Sutter Medical Foundation's Vallejo care center. After earning his undergraduate degree at Pacific Union College, Dr. Brandstater earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University. He completed a family practice residency and served as chief medical resident at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a physician.
Nonprofit

The Burbank Housing board of directors appointed Charles A. Cornell to succeed John Lowry, when he retires this year in September, as executive director and president. Mr. Cornell has been Burbank’s chief financial officer since 1996. He has been primarily responsible for the development of Burbank’s internal systems, finance, accounting, information systems, and a large share of asset management. He has a background in engineering, accounting, business administration, and residential development.
Pharmaceuticals
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is promoting Jeff Ajer, currently vice president of commercial operations for the Americas, to senior vice president and chief commercial officer. Mr. Ajer has more than 20 years of experience building industry-leading commercial organizations within rare disease and specialty medicine. He will lead the company's global marketing and sales organizations and report directly to BioMarin CEO Jean-Jacques Bienaime. Mr. Ajer initially joined the company in 2005, as vice president of sales and marketing operations.
Wine
Mandi Nash joined Grgich Hills Estate as brand associate, a new position for the winery. She will handle key trade account relationships and assist marketing and sales. Ms. Nash is certified sommelier and certified wine professional who worked for Boordy Vineyards before joining Grgich Hills part-time in the tasting room in 2011. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone’s Accelerated Wine and Beverage Program and from Middle Tennessee State University.

Cuvaison Estate Wines formed a new in-house sales team responsible for the Cuvaison and Brandlin Vineyard brands nationwide. Joining the company in newly formed positions are Carole Klincke, western region sales manager; Merritt Woodington, central north

region sales manager; John Smylie, central south region sales manager; Nicole McLean, northeast region sales manager; Luciano Armellino, southeast region sales manager; Carrie-Anne Kunkel, sales coordinator; and Melody Royval, staff accountant. All positions report to Steve Richards, national sales manager, who has been with Cuvaison Estate Wines since 2010.

Jennifer Brown was appointed director of public relations and communication for Wilson Daniels. Ms. Brown brings 16 years of wine industry experience in public relations, brand marketing and wine education, with an emphasis on the luxury segment. Ms. Brown will focus on leading public relations and communication initiatives for both domestic and imported wines within the Wilson Daniels portfolio. Prior to Wilson Daniels, Ms. Brown started marketing and communication firm Luxury Wine Marketing & Sales, working with wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties. Ms. Brown attended the Wine Business Program at Sonoma State University.

Banking and Finance

Bank of Marin promoted Mike Kadel to first vice president. Mr. Kadel is now in charge of Bank of Marin’s northern and central Marin regions and responsible for overseeing five branches, including three in San Rafael and two in Novato. He has more than 20 years of commercial banking experience and community leadership roles. Mr. Kadel is president of the board for Marin Economic Forum and serves on the boards of Hospice by the Bay, Marin General Hospital Foundation and San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.

Construction

Chih-Wei Lin

SWA Group, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm, named Chih-Wei Lin as a principal in the Sausalito office. Ms. Lin, who joined SWA in 2003, is a licensed landscape architect in California active in landscape design throughout the U.S and internationally. She received a master of landscape architecture degree from Harvard School of Design, and has worked on recent projects including Stanford University campus center, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Beth El Sanctuary, SIP administrative center, Suzhou Center, Ningbo East Town Eco-Corridor, Pearl River Tower, Bangalore Varthur Residences and Jakarta Senayan Square.

Health Care

Nigel Brandstater

Sutter Medical Foundation announced the arrival of board-certified family medicine physician Nigel Brandstater, M.D. He is now serving the greater Vallejo community through Sutter Medical Foundation’s Vallejo care center. After earning his undergraduate degree at Pacific Union College, Dr. Brandstater earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University. He completed a family practice residency and served as chief medical resident at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a physician.

Nonprofit

Chuck Cornell

The Burbank Housing board of directors appointed Charles A. Cornell to succeed John Lowry, when he retires this year in September, as executive director and president. Mr. Cornell has been Burbank’s chief financial officer since 1996. He has been primarily responsible for the development of Burbank’s internal systems, finance, accounting, information systems, and a large share of asset management. He has a background in engineering, accounting, business administration, and residential development.

Pharmaceuticals

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is promoting Jeff Ajer, currently vice president of commercial operations for the Americas, to senior vice president and chief commercial officer. Mr. Ajer has more than 20 years of experience building industry-leading commercial organizations within rare disease and specialty medicine. He will lead the company’s global marketing and sales organizations and report directly to BioMarin CEO Jean-Jacques Bienaime. Mr. Ajer initially joined the company in 2005, as vice president of sales and marketing operations.

Wine

Mandi Nash joined Grgich Hills Estate as brand associate, a new position for the winery. She will handle key trade account relationships and assist marketing and sales. Ms. Nash is certified sommelier and certified wine professional who worked for Boordy Vineyards before joining Grgich Hills part-time in the tasting room in 2011. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone’s Accelerated Wine and Beverage Program and from Middle Tennessee State University.

1st row: Carole Klincke, Merritt Woodington, John Smylie; 2nd row: Nicole McLean, Luciano Armellino, Carrie-Anne Kunkel

Cuvaison Estate Wines formed a new in-house sales team responsible for the Cuvaison and Brandlin Vineyard brands nationwide. Joining the company in newly formed positions are Carole Klincke, western region sales manager; Merritt Woodington, central north

Melody Royval

region sales manager; John Smylie, central south region sales manager; Nicole McLean, northeast region sales manager; Luciano Armellino, southeast region sales manager; Carrie-Anne Kunkel, sales coordinator; and Melody Royval, staff accountant. All positions report to Steve Richards, national sales manager, who has been with Cuvaison Estate Wines since 2010.

Jennifer Brown

Jennifer Brown was appointed director of public relations and communication for Wilson Daniels. Ms. Brown brings 16 years of wine industry experience in public relations, brand marketing and wine education, with an emphasis on the luxury segment. Ms. Brown will focus on leading public relations and communication initiatives for both domestic and imported wines within the Wilson Daniels portfolio. Prior to Wilson Daniels, Ms. Brown started marketing and communication firm Luxury Wine Marketing & Sales, working with wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties. Ms. Brown attended the Wine Business Program at Sonoma State University.