Tony Parsons is a dynamic advocate, deeply passionate about empowering others, building coalitions, and improving equity. Tony is the Director of Public Policy and Finance at Oakland Thrives where he actively works to align government institutions and actors to better serve the Oakland community. Prior to this, Tony was the federal policy specialist for Youth Villages, managing a diverse portfolio of child welfare policy topics. He played a key role in leading the organization’s work to secure $400 million in federal funding to support older foster youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as a consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States, an initiative of the Children’s Bureau, leading efforts on primary prevention, the child welfare workforce, and race equity.

Before his federal roles, Tony honed his leadership skills in education reform with the Michigan College Access Network. He led over 300 high schools in a yearlong college enrollment initiative called College Bound Michigan, demonstrating his ability to manage large-scale projects and inspire change. He also supported the training curriculum for their school counseling program and served on the grant-making team Tony is a proud Michigan State University Honors College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy. He is also a graduate of Georgetown University with a Master of Arts in Policy Management from the McCourt School of Public Policy, completing a Capstone focused on using quasi-governmental agencies supporting local government.

Tony is an avid gym-goer in his spare time and enjoys musical theatre and comedy shows, watching documentaries, and baking. Tony hopes to one day be the President of the United States.