Wake Education Partnership Honors Virginia Parker With 2012 Vernon Malone Friend Of Education Award

Director Of Strategic Partnerships For The Wake Tech Foundation Receives Annual Honor For Support Of Public Education. End Quote

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) October 31, 2012 - Steve Parrott, president of Wake Education Partnership (http://www.wakeedpartnership.org/), has announced that Virginia Parker, director of strategic partnerships for the Wake Tech Community College Foundation, is the recipient of the 2012 Vernon Malone Friend of Education Award. A Raleigh resident for more than 30 years, Parker is responsible for identifying, cultivating and developing strategic partnerships that bring private support and resources to Wake Technical Community College. She received the award at Wake Education Partnership's 2012 Education Summit held Oct. 30 at the Embassy Suites in Cary.

Beyond her work at Wake Tech, Parker serves as a community leader with multiple nonprofits. She is the chair of the Lightner Achievers Board of the YMCA and participates on the boards of the John E. Rex Endowment, the Junior League of Raleigh and the North Carolina Theatre. Parker serves on Wake Education Partnership's Leadership Council and the Education Committee of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she is an advisor to Triangle Family Services and her high school son's student athlete leadership initiative ATHLEAD.

The annual Friend of Education Award, the highest honor given by the Partnership, recognizes a Wake County citizen who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the betterment of public education. Recipients of this award set a high standard for selfless dedication to the ongoing improvement of public education - moving from words to deeds that have a lasting impact on the education of all children in Wake County. Wake Education Partnership has presented this award every year since 1990. It was renamed in honor of Vernon Malone in 2009 following his death. Malone, a veteran educator and long-time supporter of public education in Wake County, served as a school board member, county commissioner and state senator during a long and respected career.

QUOTES:
"Virginia's selfless dedication to public education in Wake County and related causes for many years makes her an ideal person to earn this year's Friend of Education Award," said Parrott. "We are proud to add her name to a list of illustrious previous winners of this prize, including Gov. and Mrs. James B. Hunt, Rev. Marion Robinson, who was our 2011 honoree, and many more."

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
Wake Education Partnership Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wake-Education-Partnership/123614934354647

DETAILS:
- A 2007 Women in Business recipient and a 2008 Finance Impact Leader, Parker was named the Junior
League of Raleigh's Sustainer of the Year in 2009.

- She is married to her husband, Monty, and has two children, Hannah (20) and Evan (18).

- Wake Tech Community College Foundation partners with corporations, foundations and individuals to raise resources to support Wake Technical Community College's institutional and instructional needs. Since 1988, the Foundation has offered many programs benefiting Wake Tech employees and students, including the Excellence Awards, tuition assistance, instructional equipment, program support, Emergency Financial Aid and scholarships. For more information, visit http://foundation.waketech.edu/.

ABOUT WAKE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP:
Wake Education Partnership, an independent, nonprofit advocacy group for Wake County public school students and teachers, works with local business leaders, educators and elected officials to help reach the common goal of increasing student performance measured against world-class standards. For more information, please visit http://www.wakeedpartnership.org.

Ryan Didsbury
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
ryan ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://twitter.com/mmipr
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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