Rodney O. Parks has more than 25 years of experience in finance, leadership, fundraising and management development. His highly sought-after presentations and keynote addresses have been consistently insightful, inspiring, and motivational for some of the nation’s most prominent corporations, universities, and non-profit groups.
Rodney graduated from Arkansas Tech University in 1991 with a degree in economics and finance. He is the senior director of major and planned gifts at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith (UAFS), where he leads a six-person team in planned giving, major gifts, and annual giving while managing a major gifts portfolio of over 50 donors. In his former position as director of development at Philander Smith College, he increased alumni giving from 4 to 18 percent from 2008-2015, grew planned giving from 15 to 40 planned gifts, and secured more than $1 million in government appropriations. He is a previous Fortune 500 manager for Merrill Lynch. He also is an award winning featured speaker/faculty for CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education).
Due to his highly developed interpersonal skills, Rodney has been consistently engaged throughout the state of Arkansas, holding positions with the State Banking Board, Arkansas Tech University Foundation, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Little Rock School District Audit Committee, Arkansas District Judges Retirement System, and Arkansas Tech Alumni Association. In 2007, he was chosen to be a member of the first class of Leadership Arkansas and was also named one of the Arkansas Business “40 Under 40.” He currently uses unique professional skills as a member of the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation.
He currently resides in Fort Smith Arkansas. He is married to his wife Carmen and is blessed with twin daughters, Kennedy and Olivia.
Rodney O. Parks is on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
