Mario van Dongen, former publisher of the Napa Valley Register, was named the new president and publisher of the Marin Independent Journal on Monday. Van Dongen, 48, will assume the post on Nov. 6, said John Armstrong, vice president of California Newspapers Partnership, which owns the IJ. (Dean Singleton’s MediaNews Group is the majority owner of the partnership.) Van Dongen has most recently served as regional vice president of sales for the Northern California PennySaver. Prior to that he was the president and publisher of the Napa Valley Register for more than three years. Kenneth A. Svanum resigned as the IJ’s publisher in August, citing family medical issues.