ABWI Board Member
     Martha Parker
     CEO, Parker Associates

Martha Parker is CEO of Parker Associates, founded in 1997, which specializes in corporate strategy
and marketing for the SME sector. She has more than 20 years of management experience as a senior
marketing executive, servicing early-stage growth companies to large multinationals.  Her expertise ranges
from emerging technologies (including engineered materials, environmental equipment and artificial
intelligence software) to innovative food products, housewares and service organizations.

Prior to founding Parker Associates, Ms. Parker served as president/chief operating officer of
FitzGerald, an $18 million marketing communications firm that represented clients from technology
and finance to manufacturing and retail.  She led her team to win significant accounts, including a
State of Rhode Island economic development expansion program.  Under her leadership, the
campaign garnered over $75 million in new capital investment by attracting key “anchor”
corporations to Rhode Island, including the prestigious Fidelity Investments Group, which established
a learning campus in the northern part of the State and created an estimated 1500 new
jobs.  In addition, Ms. Parker and her team helped their client facilitate the reinvestment by
|other industries including a $100 million expansion of Toray Plastics.

 In another initiative Ms. Parker led her team to develop a highly successful brand marketing program
for a technology consortium created by the State and Brown University.

 Prior to that, Ms. Parker served as senior vice president/chief of account management at FitzGerald.  
She developed one of the first national practices in sustainable “green” marketing. Through her efforts,
the company developed award-winning environmental marketing programs for Mobil Chemical,
Weyhauser, International Paper and Shipley Chemicals (now Rohm & Haas), among others.
In addition, Ms. Parker developed one of the first consumer education/marketing campaigns in the
United States to convince general consumers to buy products in recycled-content (sustainable) packages.  
The program raised purchase levels in target markets from under 10% to over 30%.

 Also, through her efforts, the firm repositioned a major gas pipeline client into an eco-friendly company
by focusing on its hydrogen fuel cell technology.  Ms. Parker also worked with the National Football
League (NFL) to create the first pilot “green guest” program for Super Bowl sites.  These programs
included not only green-event recycling, but also community reinvestment initiatives.

 Before joining the commercial sector, Ms. Parker managed joint ventures between public-private
organizations.  As the special assistant to the Dean (chief of staff), Yale University, School of Architecture,
 Ms. Parker led successful efforts to partner and reestablish an effective working relationship within the
disadvantaged areas of the community – who felt they had been left behind in the prosperity created by
the university’s growth.  

As a policy and legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives for Rep. Patricia Schroeder,
Ms. Parker helped develop and pass legislation to aid small business, state-level economic development,
and the US Department of Agriculture’s WIC program.  She served on the team that represented the
Congresswoman as liaison to both the House Rural Development and Black Caucuses.

 Ms. Parker graduated from the University of Illinois, and holds a master’s degree from the University
of Rhode Island.  She recently completed studies at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education,
Worldwide Learning Center.  In addition, Ms. Parker is a certified project manager (PMP) and she is an
accredited senior counselor by the U.S. Public Relations Society (APR). 

Ms. Parker serves on the board of directors for several national and New Hampshire non-profit
organizations.  She volunteers as a tutor with the Adult Literacy program, including TESL
(teaching English as a Second language).  Ms. Parker currently is on the board of directors for the
ABWI (Alliance of Business Women International).  She is a guest speaker and lecturer at area
colleges on marketing strategy, entrepreneurialism, women in business and related issues.