THE PLAY EQUITY FUND ADDS FERNANDO RAMIREZ AS VICE PRESIDENT

Ramirez In Key Leadership Position As The Play Equity Fund Expands In Strategic Directions To Support The Lifelong Benefits Of Sport & Play For Children

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 13, 2023) – Following a comprehensive search, the Play Equity Fund announces the recent appointment of Fernando Ramirez as Vice President. In this new leadership role, Ramirez is responsible for overseeing the administrative, programmatic and strategic planning of the organization. He will also lead the implementation of all advocacy strategies, as well as the government relations and community affairs efforts.

Ramirez is contributing strategic leadership to all of the Play Equity Fund’s work with his deep administrative and operational experience. He will work in close collaboration with policy makers and elected officials, and aims to create new coalitions and fundraising strategies to advance the organization’s mission to give all children equitable access to the lifelong benefits of sport and play.

He joins the Play Equity Fund after serving as a campaign consultant to various federal, state and municipal campaigns in the 2022 election cycle. Ramirez brings 16 years of public service experience to his duties, having successfully implemented dozens of legislative measures while serving in a variety of leadership positions at the City and County of Los Angeles, as well as the California State Legislature.

Ramirez oversaw the development of numerous programs and campaigns on a range of complex policy matters, ranging from economic development, social services, transportation and homelessness to the creative economy. In 2018, he was selected to serve as a fellow with the Victory Institute’s David Bohnett Leaders Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program. He was also the Board President of the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project from 2014-17, a statewide youth-serving organization promoting the advancement of Latinos.

“Fernando brings a broad range of experiences as a leader in the public sector that are critical to advancing our work,” said Renata Simril, President of the Play Equity Fund. “His commitment to social change, creating impact and collaboration aligns with our values. We are fortunate to welcome this thoughtful and dedicated new member to our team.”

Ramirez recently started in this vital position. He works with government leaders, corporate partners, nonprofits, community members, educators, philanthropy and youth organizations across the Play Equity Fund’s program areas to build connections, raise awareness and move audiences to action.

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About the Play Equity Fund
A 501(c)3 public charity, the Play Equity Fund was established by the LA84 Foundation in 2014 as its charitable partner and supports programs and actions to ensure all children have equal access to the transformative power of sport and play. The Play Equity Fund supports the sports-based youth development ecosystem for greater impact, raises awareness of inequities and develops partnerships to advocate for funding and sustainable solutions to ensure children have access to pathways for lifelong well-being. The Play Equity Fund is the only nonprofit focused solely on play equity as a social justice issue. To learn more, visit PlayEquityFund.org, or @PlayEquityFund on Twitter and Instagram.