Orange County Staff

Noel Burcelis, MSW brings over 29 years of management experience to his role as Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Orange County. With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work from Long Beach State, Noel began his career as a child protective social worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. He later held leadership roles at the Long Beach YMCA—where he helped launch key community initiatives such as the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program, Stevenson-YMCA Community School, and CORAL (Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning) —and at Helping Hands for Better Living Adult Day Health Care Center, supporting medically fragile adults. Since 2011, he has been part of the Ronald McDonald House Orange County team, initially as Director of Operations. Outside of work, Noel enjoys volunteering at his church, reading, and taking leisurely bike rides. He has been happily married since 1995 and is honored to serve others.

Katie Russell has been with the Orange County Ronald McDonald House for over ten years and during her tenure with us has held a variety of positions such as: Guest Services Associate, Volunteer Coordinator, and Guest Services Manager. Her experience outside the charity include serving as Director of Operations for an Interior Design Company and over nine years with the Disneyland Resort as a Guest Relations Manager. Katie has displayed commitment to our mission. 

Born and raised in Singapore, Ruth graduated from Pepperdine University where she majored in Communications and Public Relations.  Over the course of her post-graduate professional life, she has cultivated a passion for service and communication, applying her diverse skill sets to the fields of public relations, journalism, marketing, and fundraising. Her career started at grassroots a non-profit in South Los Angeles where she was responsible for overseeing 50 afterschool sites scattered throughout Compton, Watts and Inglewood. 

In 2014, Ruth joined Ronald McDonald House Orange County as Volunteer Manager and was then promoted to Special Events Manager and in the beginning of this year, took on the role as the Director of Development where she oversees the charity’s fundraising initiatives, marketing and communications. 

As a child, Ruth was diagnosed with a chronic blood condition and experienced firsthand what it was like to be in a hospital away from her parents. To this end, she works tirelessly to ensure that when a child is hospitalized with a critically ill condition, their family will never have to be too far away. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world (including an annual trip to Singapore to visit family), playing “mom” to her dog, Duke and checking out the food scene in and around Los Angeles and Orange County.