Irwin, Friedl are top choices for T.O.-Westlake

MAN OF THE YEAR- Chamber President Janet Levett and Board Chair Mark T. Jessee stand with Jim Freidl, center, the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce's selection for the Man of the Year. The Thousand OaksWestlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce announced that Jacqui Irwin and Jim Friedl have been selected as the 2007-08 Woman and Man of the Year.

Chamber President and CEO Janet Levett and 2008 board chair Mark T. Jessee surprised Irwin with the news at the Chamber headquarters, and Friedl at his office.

Friedl is the general manager of the Conejo Recreation and Park District. He's also a former planning commissioner for the city of Agoura Hills and board member for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. He served as a volunteer mediator for the Malibu/Calabasas small claims court and was on the board of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation.

Friedl is the former attorney for the city of Thousand Oaks and later became that city's deputy city manager.

A local resident for many years, Friedl has been a member of the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club and active as a youth basketball coach and soccer referee.

Irwin is a former Thousand Oaks planning commissioner and current mayor of the city.

She was president of the Thousand Oaks Titans Football Association, vice president of membership at Thousand Oaks High School, chair of the ADA Bike Ride and a member of the Conejo Schools Foundation, Girl Scouts of America and various local parent-teacher associations.

The Chamber also named the Westlake Village Inn as its Business of the Year.

The award recipients will be honored at the Chamber's "Under the Sea" recognition gala on Feb. 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village.

For more information on this event, call the Chamber at (805) 370-0035 or visit the website www.towlvchamber.org.