Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California Appoints Vincent M. Bryson Chief Executive Officer

LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC) announced today that Vincent M. Bryson has been appointed its new chief executive officer. Bryson, a 13-year veteran of the charity, currently serves as executive director of the chapter's Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House. He will officially take over as chief executive officer for RMHCSC, which provides comfort, care and support to children and families throughout Southern California, on April 8, 2013.

Bryson joined RMHCSC and the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House in 2000, where he was responsible for leading the capital campaign that led to the House's major expansion to 75 rooms in 2008. Through his tenure, Bryson has played an active role in RMHCSC's overall development, including leading the executive team responsible for opening the Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House in 2009 and the organization of the first Walk for Kids event, which has grown into the charity's biggest fundraising event of the year.

"Vince was the unanimous selection of our board and will do a tremendous job leading our organization," said George Ball, RMHCSC board chairperson. "Vince is working closely with our current CEO Rob Parker and we anticipate a very smooth leadership transition."

Prior to joining RMHCSC, Bryson served at the executive level at a number of prestigious non-profit and civic organizations. He was the first president and chief executive officer of The Magic Johnson Foundation where he helped raise $8 million in funding and managed the distribution of more than $3.5 million to AIDS-related organizations nationally. For fourteen years, Bryson served as the senior executive for the United Negro College Fund of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. At the time, he was the youngest director assigned to lead an area office. Bryson was also the development director at the New Los Angeles Marketing Partnership, a public-private partnership created by former Los Angeles mayor, Richard Riordan. 

"It's an honor to be chosen to lead a charity that I have such a deep personal and professional respect for," said Bryson. "RMHCSC makes such an incredible difference in the lives of children and families across Southern California and I look forward to continuing that mission."

Rob Parker announced his intention to step down in January and will be returning to Atlanta, Ga. to serve as president and CEO of Camp Southern Ground. Immediate past RMHCSC board chairperson and local McDonald's Owner/Operator Ron Piazza reflected on Rob's time saying, "Rob is an outstanding leader who took our organization to a new level of success during his time as CEO."

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California
For more than 35 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (RMHCSC) has been committed to providing comfort, care and support to children and families through a variety of wellness and educational programs across Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. With the help of volunteers, RMHCSC operates six Ronald McDonald Houses in Bakersfield, Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange and Pasadena and two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, which help seriously-ill children and their families stay together during difficult times. The organization is also the only Ronald McDonald House Charities chapter that operates the cost-free, medically supervised, year-round Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times®, designed to help children rediscover their self-esteem, self-reliance and independence after experiencing cancer. Within Southern California, RMHCSC has provided nearly $17 million in funding through its Community Grants Board to deserving non-profits and funds four college scholarship programs that have awarded more than $4.2 million to exemplary high school students. More information about RMHCSC and its programs can be found at www.rmhcsc.org or on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California