Susan Parker
Susan Parker was elected to the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2006. Parker’s political career also includes being elected State Auditor of Alabama in 1998, and in 2002 she was the first woman in Alabama ever nominated for the U. S. Senate.
Prior to becoming involved in politics, Parker had a 25-year career in public education. In 1972, at the age of 16, she started working at Calhoun Community College as a file clerk and rose through the ranks to Associate Dean. In 1988 she became the Chief Development Officer at Athens State University and retired from there in 1996.
One of Parker’s most notable achievements is that she completed four college degrees by attending college at night and working full-time during the day. It took her 13 years but Parker persevered and completed her associates, bachelors, masters and Ph.D. — all with honors.
After only three years as a commissioner, Parker has been selected by her peers to be president of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC) and will become president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions (NARUC) in 2012. In January, 2010, she will become the Chairperson of the Gas Technology Institute Advisory Board in Chicago Illinois.
Throughout her career, community service has been important to Parker. She has served as president and board member for numerous non-profit organizations.
Parker and her husband of 29 years, Paul Parker, enjoy golf and travel. They are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church where Susan is a Sunday school teacher.
