John Muir Health Foundation Names Two New Board Members

Capital Campaign Expands Leadership

Walnut Creek, Calif. (Sept. 23, 2009) - John Muir Health Foundation, the charitable fundraising organization for all John Muir Health programs and services, announced today that local business executives Jack Thompson and John Sayres have been named board members of the John Muir Health Foundation.

The two East Bay residents will help lead the Foundation's "Breaking New Ground Right Here" Capital Campaign, which is raising funds to support John Muir Health's current $800 million hospital expansion and renovation projects at its Concord and Walnut Creek hospitals.

"Jack and John are committed to increasing public awareness about John Muir Health Foundation and are very enthusiastic about raising philanthropic support for our expansion, which is the largest healthcare project in California," said Milt Smith, president of the John Muir Health Foundation. "Their executive leadership experience will contribute greatly to the success of the campaign."

In addition to his new role as board member for the Foundation, Jack Thompson is a member of the John Muir Health Investment Committee, the Muir Benefactors Giving Circle, and is a 13 consecutive-year contributor to the John Muir Health Foundation. A management consultant with extensive experience as a corporate director, Thompson sits on the board for Tidewater, Inc., Centerra Gold Inc., and Century Aluminum Corp, and was Chairman and CEO of Homestake Mining Company until 2001. He is a graduate of Stanford's Executive Program and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona. Thompson lives in Alamo with his wife.

John Sayres' appointment as a board member is his first involvement with the John Muir Health Foundation. He is a Senior Advisor with the Technology Investment Banking Group of Morgan Stanley and a member of several fundraising committees at Stanford University. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Sayres was an investment banker at Citigroup and Merrill Lynch. With his experience helping corporate clients raise millions in equity and debt capital, Sayres will bring valuable leadership to the Capital Campaign. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's in business administration from Stanford University. Sayres lives in Orinda with his wife and three daughters.

"We are excited to have such outstanding leaders join our board of directors," Smith said. "These business leaders are sincerely dedicated to John Muir Health's mission of providing quality care for our local community, and we welcome them to the Foundation."

For information about how to support the "Breaking New Ground Right Here" Capital Campaign, call (925) 947-4449 or visit www.johnmuirhealthfoundation.org.

About John Muir Health Foundation

John Muir Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1979 to secure philanthropic support for the not-for-profit John Muir Health organization, which serves communities in Contra Costa County, and parts of Solano County and Marin County.

Locally governed John Muir Health is a leader in high quality patient care that continues to help make possible a number of "firsts" in the region, including the first oncology center in Northern California to offer breakthrough technology in the diagnosis of lung and esophageal cancer, the first Novalis stereotactic radio surgery system in Northern California, the first Level III neonatal intensive care nursery in Contra Costa County, and the first and only designated Trauma Center for Contra Costa County.

(Posted September 23, 2009)