Susan Campbell began her rise to CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region as a volunteer van driver in 2001. The organization’s mission spoke to Campbell, and it launched a two-decade climb to the nonprofit’s top level.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region supports families of seriously ill children by providing comfort and hope. The organization’s two Ronald McDonald House programs provide temporary lodging, transportation, meals and supportive services to families who travel to Philadelphia for pediatric care. It also offers a summer camp for kids with cancer, a mobile dental health clinic for underserved children and lounges at local children’s hospitals.
The year after Campbell volunteered as a driver, she became a weekend manager. In 2004, she joined the staff full-time as the director of administration and was promoted to associate director in 2006. In 2007, Campbell became the executive director and then transitioned to CEO in 2018.
Today, Campbell oversees an annual operating budget of $6.5 million and is responsible for two Ronald McDonald Houses, three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms located at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Ronald McDonald Camp and a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
“One of the greatest leadership lessons (and most rewarding) for me is learning how to lead multiple constituent groups with diverse views together towards a common goal and how to embrace varying viewpoints to create the best solutions,” Campbell said.
Campbell has led Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region through multiple expansions, including the creation of a second Ronald McDonald House in 2008. The second house has 20 bedrooms and allows families access to care at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Shriners Children’s Philadelphia. In 2015, Campbell oversaw the addition of a new seven-story tower at the organizations’ flagship location in West Philadelphia. The $50 million capital project increased the available guest rooms from 45 to 127, creating new amenities for guests and giving thousands more families access to the nonprofit’s services.
“We will continue to create new, innovative partnerships to support both our core mission and the evolving social, environmental and business needs of our community and region,” Campbell said.
Campbell previously worked for eight years at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s Office of General Counsel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and law and public policy and a master’s degree in public administration.