Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana welcomes Charles Stewart to board

Written By Alicia Vial

NEW ORLEANS – Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHC-SLA) is pleased to welcome Charles Stewart, vice president - commercial relationship manager at First Horizon Bank to its board of directors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Charles to our board,” said Grace McIntosh, executive director of RMHC-SLA. “The infusion of Charles’ expertise comes at a pivotal moment for RMHC-SLA, propelling us forward in our relentless pursuit of advancing our mission of providing a home-away-from-home to families of seriously ill or injured children and providing programs that give comfort, compassion and care to children and their families.”

Stewart is a New Orleans native and holds his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in interdisciplinary studies. In his free time, he has enjoyed working with several nonprofits including the Friends of Lafitte Greenway, unCommon Construction and Junior Achievement. Charles is also a graduate of Leadership Jefferson, a chamber of commerce nine-month program designed to develop a diverse network of dedicated business and community leaders.

“The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is one in which I am excited to help herald,” said Stewart. “I am very passionate about giving back to the community in which I was raised. Supporting our local Ronald McDonald House chapter means being part of a community that strives to provide comfort, care and sense of normalcy to families during some of the most challenging time in their lives.”

To learn more about RMHC-SLA visit, rmhc-sla.org.

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Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana: Since 1983, RMHC-SLA has partnered with our local children’s health care providers to keep families together and near the medical care their ill or injured children need. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteers, RMHC-SLA continues to focus on families’ needs as they face the medical uncertainty and financial stress of caring for their children. 

 

Today, RMHC-SLA serves critically ill children through our Ronald McDonald House® located in New Orleans on the campus of Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald Family Room® in Lafayette at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald Hospitality Carts. Through these programs we help provide housing, meals, community, and psychosocial support to families with children at local hospitals across Louisiana, the Gulf South Region and around the world. 

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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