Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) Board of Trustees Elects Steven M. Ramirez as Board Chair

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Jun 26, 2014) - Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®), a global non-profit that creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, today announced the election of Steven M. Ramirez as its new global chair of the board of trustees beginning January 1, 2015.

Ramirez and his wife Carmen became Owner/Operators in 1988 and currently own seven McDonald's restaurants near Sacramento. He joined the board of RMHC of Northern California in 1989. There he helped lead the capital campaign for the construction of Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake, which opened in 1992. Ramirez also worked with the medical community and the community-at-large to expand RMHC into Mexico. Since joining the global board of RMHC in 1996, he has worked with the global office to strengthen its support of children and families in Malta, Ecuador, Australia and Hong Kong.

"The board's decision to elect Steven as the new chair will help our organization build upon a strong foundation and ensure our ability to expand our reach in support of the critical needs of children around the world," said J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, president and CEO, RMHC. "We'd also like to thank our current Board Chair Linda Dunham for her incredible dedication to the Charity over the years as one of its greatest champions and leaders."

Before becoming a McDonald's franchisee, Ramirez was an advisor to the chairman of the California Energy Commission and was appointed by the California governor to lead several key initiatives in the Office of Business and Industrial Development. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor's in Economic Geography.

"I've always been committed to the health and well-being of children," said Ramirez. "I look forward to continuing to work with the global board and RMHC system leadership to find more ways to strengthen our global network to deliver on our mission and our commitment to children."

RMHC® will be celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the opening of the first Ronald McDonald House in October and currently serves nearly 9 million children annually through its core family-centered programs.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities®
Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of 58 Chapters, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and supported programs provide access to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal and cope better.