Mamie Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamie Parker
|
|
|---|---|
Parker in 2020
|
|
| Born | October 14, 1957 |
| Alma mater | University of Arkansas (BS) University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (MS, PhD) |
| Awards | Presidential Rank Award Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Hall of Fame Emmeline Moore Prize USFWS Ira Gabrielson Leadership Award William K. Reilly Environmental Leadership Award 2020 John L. Morris Award by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biology Conservation Fisheries |
| Institutions | US Fish and Wildlife Service |
Mamie Parker (born October 14, 1957) is an American biologist and conservationist. She is also an executive coach and an inspiring speaker. Dr. Parker is from Wilmot, Arkansas.
She earned a PhD in limnology (the study of fresh water) from the University of Wisconsin. Mamie Parker worked for 30 years with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). She held many different jobs across the country.
She is known as a pioneer in her field. She was the first Black woman to be the assistant director of Fisheries and Habitat Conservation. She was also the first African American to lead a USFWS regional office. This office covered 13 states in the Northeast. She also served as the Chief of Staff and Chief of Fisheries for the USFWS.
For her amazing work, she received the Presidential Rank Meritorious Service Award. This is the highest honor for career government employees. In 2005, she was the first African American to join the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
After leaving the USFWS, she became a leadership coach and speaker. She works with Ma Parker and Associates and EcoLogix Group, Inc. She serves on the boards of several important environmental groups. These include the National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy-Virginia Chapter.
Throughout her career, she has worked to create more opportunities for minority students. She helps them get into conservation and fisheries careers. In 2016, she received the Emmeline Moore Prize for these efforts.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mamie Parker grew up in Wilmot, Arkansas. She was the youngest of 11 children. Her mother raised the family by working as a sharecropper.
Mamie's interest in nature started when she was young. Her mother loved to fish and spend time outdoors. In high school, her biology teacher showed her how important it was to protect the environment.
She earned her first degree in biology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). She then got a master's degree and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her PhD focused on limnology, which is the study of fresh water. For her PhD, she researched ways to clean up pollution in the Great Lakes. She also completed leadership training at Harvard University.
Career in Conservation
Working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Mamie Parker was inspired to join the USFWS by Hannibal Bolton. He was a UAPB graduate who visited the university to find interns. She completed two internships with the USFWS.
After her internships, she worked for the USFWS in Columbia, Missouri. She helped give environmental advice for federal projects. Later, she moved to other USFWS offices. These included Minneapolis in 1990 and Atlanta in 1996. In Atlanta, she became a Deputy Assistant Regional Director.
In 1998, Parker moved to Washington, D.C. She became a Special Assistant to the Deputy Director. This role is now called Chief of Staff. She worked on programs across all 50 states.
In 1999, she became the Northeast Regional Director. This office covered 13 states, from Maine to Virginia. She was the first African American to lead a USFWS regional office.
In 2003, she was named USFWS Assistant Director of Fisheries and Habitat Conservation. She was the first Black woman to hold this important job. In this role, she led national projects. One major project was the National Fish Habitat Action Partnership. She also helped lead the White House Conference on the Environment.
For her leadership, she received the Presidential Rank Meritorious Service Award. This is a very high honor for government employees.
Executive Consulting Work
Mamie Parker retired from the USFWS in 2007. Since then, she has worked as a leadership coach and speaker. She helps people and organizations improve their leadership skills.
She is a principal consultant for EcoLogix Group, Inc. and Ma Parker and Associates. She has worked with many different groups. These include the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior. She also works with environmental groups like Ducks Unlimited.
Mentoring and Service
Mamie Parker sees herself as a pioneer for women of color in her field. She feels a "responsibility to do well." She once said, "It can be lonely when you're a pioneer, because you're all by yourself."
While at USFWS, she helped create Chicago Wilderness. This group works to protect natural areas around Chicago. She also helped start the "Invest in People" program. This program helped USFWS employees learn and grow. It even let office staff experience fieldwork with biologists.
She has also worked to increase diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. She started programs to show minority students careers in fisheries. She continues to help young people from underserved communities. She wants more diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.
In 2020, she shared her thoughts:
"At this point in life, I have learned more about showing gratitude by giving back. This includes work to encourage others to help us address the climate crisis, particularly in vulnerable and underserved communities, by looking for opportunities to make a profound impact on the lives of women and diverse employees in conservation by working harder on diversity, inclusion, justice and equity. Serving in nominating and governance roles on multiple boards, I recruit and retain diversity."
In 2016, she received the Emmeline Moore Prize. This award was for her work in promoting diversity in fisheries education and careers. She has also written about supporting minority students in fisheries.
She encourages young people to enter conservation careers. She tells them:
"When I speak to youth, I tell them about my story as a pioneer conservationist and call them to action....I ask them to think about the things they can do to better their communities. Several youth have expressed interest in pursuing careers in conservation, marine biology and environmental justice, fighting the environmental inequality that communities of color often face."
Mamie Parker serves on many boards. These include the Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Wildlife Refuge Association. She also serves on boards for Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. She was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Awards and Honors
Mamie Parker has received many awards and honors for her work:
- Inducted into the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Hall of Fame.
- Named the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Simon Haley Distinguished Lecturer.
- Received an Aspen Institute Fellowship from the Council of Women World Leaders.
- Awarded the Department of Interior's Silver Award.
- Received the USFWS Ira Gabrielson Leadership Award.
- Awarded the Presidential Rank Meritorious Service Award.
- 1999: Appointed USFWS Northeast Regional Director.
- 2002: Received the Good Housekeeping Magazine Women in Government Leadership Award.
- 2003: Appointed USFWS Assistant Director of Fisheries and Habitat Conservation.
- 2005: Inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
- 2015: Named Champion of the Chesapeake by Chesapeake Conservancy.
- 2016: Received the Emmeline Moore Prize from the American Fisheries Society.
- 2018: Received the William K. Reilly Environmental Leadership Award.
- 2020: Received The 2020 John L. Morris Award.
Images for kids
-
Dr. Mamie Parker is the recipient of The 2020 John L. Morris Award by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
