Carolyn Parker serves as the Director of the Office of Advocacy and Outreach. As the first director of the office, Carolyn will be tasked with leading outreach at the department to ensure greater participation in programs and services from the small, new, and beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Carolyn Parker has been a leader at USDA in many capacities. She started her 31 years of service working as a County Supervisor with the Farmers Home Administration in rural New Jersey where she administered Single Family Housing and Farm Programs. She has worked in the Community Facilities Loan Program and served as the Director of the Business and Industry Program for more than 15 years. Prior to joining the Office of Advocacy and Outreach she served as the Assistant Deputy Administrator for Business Programs in Rural Development. The programs administered involved individuals, corporations, and other business entities, Financial Institutions, non-profit and community based organizations, as well as local, State, and Federal partners.
Ms. Parker is no stranger to outreach as she has worked and performed outreach activities throughout her career. In the late nineties she supported the Civil Rights Action Team and was an active member of the Civil Rights Implementation Team, working to provide equal access to USDA's many programs and services.
Ms. Parker is a native of Wilmington, Delaware and currently resides in the State of Maryland. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
