Aaron Parker is the deputy director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), with over 10 years executing disaster planning, response, and recovery activities at the international, national, regional, and local level. Parker has performed operational and support functions under the National Frameworks of the National Preparedness System with 5 different federal agencies. Parker was most recently the chief of the Emergency Response Division at NOAA, where he led and collaborated on environmental disaster research and development alongside various federal, state, and industry stakeholders and academia including the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Oil Spill Response Institute, Shell, Exxon Mobil, the University of New Hampshire, and Lake Superior State University in Michigan. In 2023, Parker managed over $5.7M of external funding across several research & development projects, had oversight for over $870k in disaster response projects, supported Federal and State partners following Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, and Hilary, and supported preparedness across the country, including over 35 exercises and workshops. His NOAA team won many awards, including the North American Marine Environment Protection Association Marine Environment Protection Award, the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendations, and nominations for the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal.
Parker has 22 years in the federal and public sector as a former military officer and civilian service, leading diverse staff of over 40, including contractors, field personnel, & supervisors. Parker has managed annual budgets of over $6 million, with contracts over $12 million. His experience covers a range of program areas: higher education, emergency management, environmental protection, and physical and national security.