Chad Parker 

Subject-Matter Expert

Chad Parker recently joined the Summit team as a subject-matter expert and plans to continue assisting with federal loan and grant programs that deliver infrastructure and facility improvements.  

Prior to joining Summit, Parker served rural America for over 31 years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. There, he was in charge of administering loan and grant programs that provide facilities and equipment for rural businesses, telecommunications systems, single-family housing, health care facilities, public safety buildings, education facilities, municipal buildings, and a variety of other infrastructure projects. Parker and his teams were responsible for establishing ReConnect, Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, Tribal College Grants, and the Rural Community Development Initiative.

Parker held a number of senior-level positions at USDA during his tenure, including Deputy Administrator, Community Programs; Assistant Administrator, Telecommunication Programs; Deputy Administrator, Business Programs; Deputy Administrator, Cooperative Programs; and Acting Deputy Administrator, Single Family Housing Programs. Parker has testified before both the Senate and House Committees on Agriculture, received two USDA Secretary’s Honor Awards, and has been inducted into the National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable Hall of Fame. Parker holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Marketing from Virginia Tech.