Richard Parker is a seasoned public relations, advocacy, and policy executive with managerial experience at the global, federal, and state levels and knowledge of the private and non-profit sectors. He has managed both domestic and international public relations, government relations, advocacy, and policy operations in high-profile government and non-profit agencies.
Mr. Parker is a Principal and co-founder of RAMP Solutions, a strategic communications and public and government affairs advisory firm that helps global humanitarian, corporate, and public sector organizations tell their stories with greater impact. Mr. Parker served as the Assistant Administrator for Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2019 to 2021, having been unanimously confirmed for the position by the U.S. Senate to manage the corporate brand and all public and congressional relations for the agency.
He was previously the Vice President of External Affairs at Food for the Hungry, a global non-profit humanitarian organization working in 20 countries to end extreme poverty, and Vice President of External Affairs at Project Concern International overseeing the organization’s global brand, marketing strategies, media relationships, online presence, and advocacy and government relations efforts.
Mr. Parker previously served as the Director of Communications at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition working with top NGOs and Fortune 500 Companies to educate Americans about the importance of global development. He joined the USGLC after serving as Director of Communications for the Peace Corps, where he oversaw the creative, digital, marketing, press, and video production offices within the agency. Prior to his time at the Peace Corps, Mr. Parker served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative were created, and he also served in communications, marketing, and policy roles for the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the American Red Cross, and Levi Strauss & Co.
Mr. Parker holds a Master’s degree in public policy from Regent University and a Bachelor’s degree in business management from North Carolina State University.
