The Watsonville Community Hospital appointed its newest board member and added a new government and community relations position.
Alexandra Friel was sworn in as the hospital’s newest board member in December, filling the vacancy left by Marcela Tavantzis, whose term was up at the end of 2024. Board chair Tony Nuñez and Dr. Katherine Gabriel-Cox were reappointed to their board positions by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors at the end of their respective terms.
Friel is the daughter-in-law of the late John Friel, who was one of the first board members steering the hospital out from bankruptcy in 2022. John served as board chair for two years, and also as hospital CEO in the early 1990s. He died last year due to an illness.
Friel has more than 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal and district administrator for various school districts in Northern California, including Scotts Valley Unified School District, said hospital spokesperson Nancy Gere…