William Peterson, a former director of operations at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, has been named chief operations officer at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona.

Mr. Peterson was most recently the director of finance and administration at the Tempe-based National Speaker’s Association, according to a press release.

“Bill brings tremendous experience in management, operations, finance, human resources and information technology to the Ronald McDonald House,” RMHC-CNAZ Chief Executive Officer Kerry Schulman said in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Mr. Peterson will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the Valley’s three Ronald McDonald Houses, which provide safety, comfort and a welcoming environment to families whose children are undergoing medical care in the Valley.

Before joining the National Speaker’s Association, where he handled responsibilities for six years, Mr. Peterson had been director of operations at the Cancer Support Community in Phoenix.

Mr. Peterson, who served with the U.S. Marine Corp and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for Outstanding Service, lives in Mesa with his wife Ruth. He is a 2014 graduate of the Mesa Leadership Program.

Mr. Peterson has a masters degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, Orlando Campus and a bachelors degree in business administration from Belhaven College in Orlando.