NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Former Bank of Marin Bancorp Board Member J. Dietrich “Diet” Stroeh passed away on May 30 at the age of 80. Stroeh was a respected engineer, a leading figure in the water conservation effort in Marin County, a passionate supporter of numerous local nonprofit organizations and served over 19 years on the Board.
Stroeh joined the Bank’s Board in 1997 and was a member of the Asset/Liability Committee from 2001 through 2016. He served as a member of the Audit Committee from 1997 to 1999 and was named to the committee again in February 2015. Stroeh retired from the Board in July 2016.
“Diet will always be remembered by the Bank of Marin family as a tireless supporter of the Bank and particularly the employees, whom he valued so highly,” said Brian Sobel, Chairman of the Board. “He believed both in the reason and the need for a community bank with very firm conviction. He promoted the Bank at every opportunity and was an excellent director and a great person. Diet will be greatly missed.”
A founding partner in the consulting and civil engineering firm of CSW/Stuber-Stroeh, Stroeh’s primary focus was on the planning, design and management of water and sanitary sewer distribution systems, including on-site waste disposal systems. The majority of his early professional expertise was developed while working for Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) for 20 years. He finished the last six years of his career there as General Manager. Under his leadership, MMWD developed a major new in-County water supply and implemented a comprehensive water management plan that included conservation education.
Stroeh was also instrumental in achieving a record in County-wide water conservation during the 1976-1977 drought. Those experiences are the basis of his book, “The Man Who Made it Rain,” with Michael McCarthy. Stroeh’s second book, “Three Months: A Caregiving Journal from Heartbreak to Healing,” eloquently explores the period of pain, advocacy and healing after his beloved wife, Margaret, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
At the time of his passing, Stroeh was member-emeritus of the Marin County Economic Commission, President of the Golden Gate Bridge District Board, and Director of the Marin County Flood Control Board and the North Coast Railroad Authority. Stroeh was a past Director of the Novato Human Needs Center and the Marin YMCA. Until his death, he served as a member of the California Earthquake Authority Board, was on the Board of the Novato Theater, and was active in a variety of other community organizations.
A lifelong Marin resident and San Rafael High School graduate, Stroeh graduated from the University of Nevada with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He had extensive experience in hydrology, hydraulics design, small dam design, contract negotiations, and construction management, and served as an expert witness in these areas.
About Bank of Marin
Bank of Marin is a leading business and community bank in the San Francisco Bay Area, with assets of $2.0 billion. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Novato, Bank of Marin is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ: BMRC). With 20 retail offices in San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Alameda counties, Bank of Marin provides business and personal banking, commercial lending, and wealth management and trust services. Specializing in providing legendary service to its customers and investing in its local communities, Bank of Marin was named 2016 Community Bank of the Year by Western Independent Bankers and consistently has been ranked one of the “Top Corporate Philanthropists" by the San Francisco Business Times and one of the “Best Places to Work” by the North Bay Business Journal. Bank of Marin Bancorp is included in the Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index and NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index and has been recognized as a Top 200 Community Bank by US Banker Magazine for the past five years. For more information, go to www.bankofmarin.com.
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