COL Michael D. Parrish, USAR ’85 is one of WashingtonExec’s 2023 Top Government Tech Leaders to Watch. He is the Chief Acquisition Officer; Principal Executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Parrish was appointed Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC) on March 1, 2021. He serves as senior most advisor to the Secretary, providing policy and oversight for all of the Department’s acquisition activities. A retired Colonel, Parrish served for 14 years on active duty and 21 years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a Senior Army Aviator and Army Acquisition Corps Officer, serving as an Air Operations Officer during Desert Storm. He holds a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Stanford University as well as an MBA with Honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a graduate of The Air War College and is DAWIA Level III certified in Program Management. Parrish is the past President of the West Point Society of Philadelphia and has served on the advisory boards of the American Society for Engineering Management, Delaware Valley Industrial Resources Center, USO of Southeast Pennsylvania/New Jersey and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Prior to Parish joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, he served as Professor of Practice/Senior Advisor of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
