2012 Honorary Doctor of Laws: Al Parrish

Al Parrish
Honorary Doctor of Laws

Al Parrish has led a long and distinguished career as a business leader in Alaska, ranging from management in the hotel and tourism industry to serving as chief executive of Alaska's largest medical services provider. Originally from Georgia, he graduated from high school in Seattle, Washington, and went to work as a bus boy. Recruited by Walter Hickel in 1965, he came to Alaska to work at the Captain Cook Hotel and went on to serve as manager and vice president of Hickel Hotels. In 1974, Mr. Parrish went to work for Bill Sheffield as president of Sheffield's hotel management enterprise and stayed on through several company mergers to eventually become vice president of external relations for Holland America Line-Westours Inc.  A co-founder of the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau and member of the Alaska Visitors Association, Mr. Parrish has been a leader in building the foundation of tourism in Alaska.

In 2002, after 36 years in the hotel and tourism industry, Mr. Parrish took his management and business expertise in a new direction, joining Providence Health and Services, Alaska, as chief executive officer. During his tenure at Providence, he was a moving force behind multiple expansions and new programs designed to serve Alaskans in communities across the state, including new cancer and cardiac centers. Committed to building partnerships within Anchorage's U-Med district, Mr. Parrish has been a staunch supporter of health education, promoting collaboration between Providence and UAA at many levels, from nursing education to early childhood development. Under his leadership, Providence has become the single largest investor in UAA health programs.

Mr. Parrish retired from Providence in 2011 and he and his wife, Ann, plan to continue their community service in Alaska. In his role as volunteer and community leader, Mr. Parrish has served on multiple boards including those of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage Downtown Development Corporation, Covenant House, UAA Chancellor's Advisory Board, the Alaska Native Heritage Center and The Nature Conservancy.
In recognition of his outstanding service as a business and community leader in Alaska, the University of Alaska Anchorage proudly confers upon Al Parrish the title of Honorary Doctor of Laws.