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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Brad Parish Forms Exploratory Committee for Tennessee’s Third Congressional District to Replace Zack Wamp
January 10, 2010
Oak Ridge, TN – Today, Brad Parish announces that he is forming an exploratory committee to look at running for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 3rd District in the November 2010 election. Parish will run as the “energy-economy candidate” for a stronger nation, innovative companies and well-paying jobs for the 3rd congressional district.
Parish stated, “Energy is power: it has brought the necessities of life to Tennessee, it has brought world changing technology to our door step, it has caused wars, and it has brought businesses here. Energy is the power that will drive the future. I don’t see a candidate running that has the qualifications that I have to move us into the energy future. That is why I am considering this historic run: for our jobs, for our families and for our national security.”
If he makes the final decision to run, Parish will seek the Democratic nomination to replace Congressman Zack Wamp, who is retiring to run for Tennessee Governor this year.
Parish, born in Oak Ridge, believes his central location is an advantage that will allow him to easily reach all parts of the 3rd District and best represent the interests of the entire district. Parish brings to this competitive race a clear strategic understanding of the District in addition to an impressive background. Parish believes that his past experience will prove valuable in recovering from the current economic situation. Parish understands that since the need for energy will continue to drive the economy, the Tennessee Valley Corridor is uniquely positioned to lead the State and the Country into the energy future. As Congressman, Parish plans to bring even more innovative companies and jobs to the District.
Brad Parish is ready to be the champion for our region, our businesses and workforce, and our families regarding the core issues facing the 3rd District:
·Economic Development and Job Creation
Parish has a long history of working to create a strong regional economy. Parish is a two-term Governor-appointed member of the State’s Workforce Development Board, where he serves as the Vice Chair of Strategic Planning. Parish has worked to reform poorly performing areas while ensuring that the State’s efforts clearly focus on key growth industries for the future and while supporting private businesses through retraining grant funding. Parish was formerly one of the key personnel for the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee. This organization worked to create regional jobs through reindustrialization strategies such as spurring growth of private automotive, transportation, environmental and technology companies.
·Education
Parish has been a leader in pushing for technical education and career planning. Parish has worked with a coalition of companies and unions such as TVA, Alstom Power, and Y-12 in aligning educational opportunities with career paths in the energy, industry, and construction sectors across the State. He has also served as Co-Chair of the P-16 Education Council developing communication strategies to keep kids in school from preschool through the completion of the college degree. One of the educational projects that Parish initiated was recently listed by UT and the Southern Growth Policy Board as one of the State’s best youth initiatives. Over twenty years ago, Parish founded a long-lasting Pre-Engineering Program that partly paved the way for technology education in the Tennessee Valley. In addition, Parish worked as an Education Program Manager with the Oak Ridge Associated Universities supporting educational initiatives such as the Tennessee Science Bowl. Parish has served on committees for local colleges, youth councils, and youth leadership committees.
·Health Care
Parish has helped change health legislation. In 2003, Parish was elected as a Board Member for the Rural Health Association of Tennessee, the largest rural health association in the country at that time. As a member of the Government Relations Committee, Parish worked on strategies to bring health care to rural areas of Tennessee through recruiting doctor and nurses, and by improving technology. In 2009, Parish was appointed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Health and Human Services to the Tennessee Technology Access Program Statewide Advisory Committee. This committee works with disabled people and their families to provide them with the tools that they need to live independent, productive lives where and how they choose. As the East Tennessee Organizer for the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee, Parish was instrumental in the successful anti-tobacco fight—the fight that led to subsequent legislative changes like smoke-free restaurants—through a coalition of the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and the March of Dimes. In 2004, Parish served on the Tennessee Taskforce that established the Health Science educational standards for statewide high school curriculum.
·Science and Technology
Parish has lived science and technology. He started his career in a research laboratory for environmental sciences and recently served as a Program Manager for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory recruiting PhD scientists from across the world and managing career development programs for the Spallation Neutron Source. In 2009, Brad was appointed to the State’s Energy Sector Partnership Committee working with Chattanooga State Community College, Heat & Frost Insulators, TVA, Hemlock Semiconductor, Nissan, and other energy-related companies. For several years, Parish has been selected as an evaluator for the Federal Laboratory Consortium of Technology Transfer in which he judges technology from NASA, national laboratories, and other government agencies.
Parish has the business experience to be an outstanding legislator, as demonstrated by the fact that he grew the revenue of a Fortune 500 company’s region to $18M/year in less than three years. Recently one of the top candidates for the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency’s Executive Director, Parish is currently the Vice President of CPS, Inc., a nationwide government services firm that has supported over 150 government agencies in 44 States and 6 foreign countries.
Parish believes in responsible government and fair taxes. Parish has even taken this fight of responsible government to City Hall on behalf of the people. In 2005, he tried to hold the City of Kingston’s taxes down when city leaders proposed a massive 25% tax increase, due to unbridled spending and lack of control. Even though entrenched politicians won that fight, Parish’s resolve was tested making him stronger for any and all legislative fights on the Hill or campaign fights to represent the people of the 3rd District. With the strength to fight, Parish intends to bring that same fiscal conservative approach to Congress.
Although he is seeking his first publically elected office, Parish has aggressively worked in grassroots politics for the past two decades. In addition to the many statewide committees on which he has served, Parish’s political experience includes a term as a County Democratic Party Chair. For several years, Brad Parish was the co-host of a local TV political talk show that gave him the opportunity to listen to and talk with the constituents. Over a decade ago, Parish was given a statewide award by the Tennessee Democratic Party and continues to be very active for the Party.
Brad Parish, age 40, lives with his wife Esther, a researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and their two children Levi age 6 and Avery age 4. They are members of Morrison Hill Christian Church.
__________________Lucas McCain the Rifleman: A man doesn't run from a fight, Mark...but that doesn't mean you should go running *to* one, either.
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