BOSTON, Massachusetts – Guy Ronen has been appointed New England region executive director of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), it was announced recently by FIDF New England co-chaird Jonathan Leffell and Joseph Sieber.

Originally from Kibbutz Hatzor, just outside of Ashdod, Israel, Ronen served in the Israel Defense Forces in the 1990s as a paratrooper and as a commando in an elite counter-terrorism unit. He has lived and worked in Boston for the past 20 years. He earned a bachelor’s in leadership and a master’s in corporate and organizational communication from Northeastern University and was awarded a leadership certificate from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“As a former Israel Defense Forces soldier myself, I know firsthand how much Israel’s brave soldiers sacrifice to protect the Jewish homeland and Jews around the world,” said Ronen. “I hope to bring my military and leadership experience to FIDF to grow the New England region and further help support well-being and educational programs for IDF soldiers.”

Prior to joining FIDF, Ronen served as director of development for The Asperger/Autism Network and was previously a market manager at People’s United Bank and a consumer market manager at Bank of America.

“Guy is inspired by a deep commitment to bringing educational, well-being, and spiritual benefits to all those who serve in the IDF,” said FIDF New England Co-Chair Jonathan Leffell.

“We expect Guy to lead our region with dedication and enthusiasm to much success in the coming years,” added FIDF New England Co-Chair Joseph Sieber.

FIDF will hold its New England Annual Dinner on Dec. 5, 2017, at the Boston Convention Center. For more information on FIDF, visit fidf.org.