Education
In the fall of 2009, Parker was selected to join the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowships, of which retired General Colin Powell serves as Chairman. In 2010, as part of the Fellowship"s "Women in Leadership" program, she traveled to Argentina and Chile to work with and learn from women in the South American political system.
She focused on the following areas: understanding how elected officials use public policy to improve the quality of life for their constituency.
Learning how officials stabilize their communities by bridging the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. And studying how public officials utilize scarce government resources to economically sustain their communities.
Parker"s educational achievements are as follows:
Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, Lutheran Theological Seminary, (2009)
Certificate of Completion, Senior Executives in State and Local Government,
Executive, Harvard University ~ Kennedy School of Government, (2008)
Certificate of Completion, Leadership Philadelphia, (2008)
Delegate to Australia, American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), (2006)
Executive Certificate, University of Virginia ~ Darden School of Business
Emerging Political Leaders Program, (2006)
Bachelor of Science Degree, English,, Oxford, Pennsylvania, (1994)
Certification, Teacher of English, New Jersey Department of, (1994).
Career
She was elected on November 3, 2015 in the general election. First elected during a September 2005 special election, Parker made history by becoming the youngest African-American woman ever elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
She was elected by her Philadelphia colleagues to serve as Chair of the Philadelphia Delegation in the House.
She also served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Labor and Industry, Professional Licensure, Rules, and Transportation committees. In 2013, she was also appointed Vice Chair/Democratic Chair of the House Committee on School Safety.
Parker is dedicated to effectively using her voice to advocate for the passage of progressive public policies that will enhance the quality of life for the middle class, senior citizens, women, children and families alike while promoting job creation & sustainability, economic development and consumer protection laws.
Religion
Life is not about things. Life is relationships. Foremost of those relationships is the one we hold with Jesus Christ.
Politics
Our justification before God is based on faith in Christ alone and not in our ethnicity.
Views
As human beings people find themselves as part of an unjust, sinful and violent world, which we may feel individually helpless to change. If we accept forgiveness, God can enable us to resist evil and to live life to the full.
Membership
Previously, she served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th District from 2005 until 2015.
