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A New Kind of Leader
Courageous leadership takes many forms in today’s modern age. Embodying a willingness to dismantle flawed systems, speaking truth to the masses, and walking boldly alongside the sacred values of progress are traits not always seen in the halls of public service. Rarely these days do we come across an individual who lives a humble, private life, yet his very presence can strike a polarizing cord in his community, activating everyone around him.
John Parker is this kind of courageous leader.
A retired college and professional football coach, serial entrepreneur, organizational champion, and published author, John is no stranger to standing in the eye of the storm. Whether it’s taking the field or taking the podium, he is always ready to face whatever adversity comes his way. And as with all acts of courage, John’s work takes heart. Living with a deep and unapologetic commitment to the City of St Louis, his blunt nature means that he is never afraid to say what needs to be said, especially when it comes to fighting for the promise of his hometown.
Always on the hunt for pragmatic results, John is straightforward and mission-driven. Prepared at any moment to turn a challenge into an innovative solution, he is constantly ready to roll up his sleeves in search of the best way to solve big problems. Equipped with a lifetime of experience making impossible decisions in professional sports, high-stakes negotiations, and frontline community development, John Parker is adept at leading teams through navigating a crisis. His steady hand and quick thinking have served our nation, our region, and our city for over five decades, and now he is answering the call to lead the City of St. Louis forward, in a bold, new way.
"I feel that my life’s calling is to lead the people of St. Louis, in some capacity, to do better and to be better. I believe in the promise of our great city and I am here to help make that promise a reality.”
— John Parker
John Parker is Committed to the City of St Louis
Prioritizing Influence and Impact
Successful leaders are laser focused on high-value activities, always doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason. Parker is skilled at concentrating daily strategies on executing the work that has the highest impact. He may have always been a rebel, but he has always had a cause. John Parker's expertise and passion have served as a source of motivation, inspiration, and guidance for leading-edge organizations all over the country. He acknowledges that power, authority, and even a title are not necessary for true impact. Influence and being influential are what define the kind of leadership which matters most.
No matter where a person is in their life, he or she can practice how to have influence. Parker strives to develop more influential leaders in the City of St. Louis to welcome new voices to the table. He wants to motivate St Louisans to become leaders in their own communities, to drive outcomes that represent local values, to contribute their perspectives to major decisions, and to foster change that moves the Gateway City forward.
Connecting People and Solutions
John Parker is a professional who has connected with people of various ages and backgrounds, all over the St. Louis metropolitan area. From the corporate boardrooms, educational campuses, to civic and charitable organizations, John Parker has led, instructed, and inspired people all over the Gateway City. He states, "I feel that my life’s calling is to lead the people of St. Louis, in some capacity, to do better and to be better. I believe in the promise of our great city and I am here to help make that promise a reality.”
In addition to his many years as a professional football coach, Parker is a published author, who has written four books and a men's lifestyle magazine. He is currently the Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations for Evolution St. Louis, a high-tech knitting and fabric company revolutionizing the regional fashion industry. He is the former Director of Corporate Communications and Media for the St. Louis Development Corporation where he proudly served his City for over five years. Prior to his position at SLDC, John served as the Owner and President of Evolution Communications and Media Group, a firm that specialized in crisis communications and media management for large corporations, government entities, and non-profit organizations. He has been a television and radio show host and currently hosts his own podcast sharing solutions for the St Louis people. A lifelong civic leader, John currently holds seats on several charitable boards such as ARCHS and the St. Louis Ambassadors, and is a staunch advocate for the St. Louis Crisis Nursery.
Encouraging his community to “get comfortable being just a bit uncomfortable,” John Parker is stepping into the kind of real leadership, real conversation, and real planning needed to bring about the level of progress that the City of St. Louis deserves to achieve.
Embracing the Past and Evolving for the Future
Parker explains, “when we were kids, we were fearless and unstoppable. Nothing could break us, even when trying something new for the first time. We’d try and fail, and try again, until we finally learned how to get it right. As we grew up, we learned from everything around us until those experiences started to define who we became; both good and bad. Our lived experiences and environment can be all we think we know about ourselves, but they don’t have to be what defines our future. We are more than how we got here and I want the City of St. Louis to discover that there is more to us than we realize.”
A rare blend of tenacity, vision, and compassion, John Parker is courageously entering the next chapter of his professional career in order to effect real change for the City of St. Louis. His unwavering commitment to the people of the Gateway City continues to catalyze his work as a fierce champion for economic opportunity and growth. Encouraging his community to “get comfortable being just a bit uncomfortable,” John Parker is stepping into the kind of real leadership, real conversation, and real planning needed to bring about the level of progress that the City of St. Louis deserves to achieve.
