On Thursday, October 7, Chattanooga State Community College will welcome Herbert Parker to campus as the first speaker in the college’s newly-established President’s Distinguished Speakers Series.  Beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Faculty/Staff Dining Room, Mr. Parker will highlight his experiences working as a corporate executive in foreign countries during a program entitled “Adapting to the Cultural Differences in an International Business Environment.”  A reception follows Mr. Parker’s presentation.  Both the lecture and reception are open to the public free of charge.

A Chattanooga native and a 1976 graduate of Brainerd High School, Mr. Parker is a seasoned business leader who has managed the financial operations of large corporations for more than 25 years.  Beginning his career as a staff accountant at Combustion Engineering in Chattanooga, Mr. Parker continued with the company through its acquisition by Asea Brown Boveri Inc. (ABB).  Today, he is the chief financial officer and executive vice president of Harman International Industries Inc., an international company that designs, manufactures, and markets audio and electronic products for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets.

Mr. Parker earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Lee University.  He continued his education at Harvard Business School, completing the Executive Education program in Financial and Business Management and attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.  In February 2009, the magazine, Black Enterprise, named Mr. Parker one of the most powerful corporate executives in America.

For more information about Herbert Parker’s visit, contact Mary Knaff, director for multicultural programs, by telephone at 423.697.3371 or by email at mary.knaff@chattanoogastate.edu.

For more information about Chattanooga State Community College and its educational programs, call the Chattanooga State information hotline at 423.697.4404 or toll free at 1.866.547.3733 or visit the college’s Web site at www.chattanoogastate.edu.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited community college, operated under the policies and guidelines of the Tennessee Board of Regents College System.  Founded in 1965 and serving a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee, Chattanooga State offers a wide array of programs and services.