Michael D. Parrish assumed the role of Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC) on March 1, 2021. In this capacity, he serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary, overseeing all acquisition activities within the Department. Mr. Parrish leads a team of 17,000 acquisition professionals, manages a procurement budget of $63 billion, and administers and oversees approximately $100 billion in major programs. Additionally, he is tasked with managing the VA’s $22 billion major construction and leasing program, which supports the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. This program provides care at 1,255 healthcare facilities to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for VA’s Acquisition Academy, responsible for overseeing the Federal Acquisition Center of Excellence’s mission to provide the acquisition workforce training, professional development, and career management to transform acquisition outcomes throughout the Federal Government.
Dr. Parrish has significant senior leadership experience in military, government, corporate, and non-profit organizations. Before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, he worked as a Professor of Practice/Senior Advisor of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Dr. Parrish has served as Chairman & CEO of several publicly traded companies and as founder and CEO of multiple Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses. Additionally, he has held executive leadership positions at various General Electric (GE) companies, where he served as General Manager for global logistics and services for GE’s Water business and as Managing Director for GE Capital, specializing in e-commerce, Six Sigma, and productivity of several GE’s equipment management groups.
Dr. Parrish is a retired Colonel who served on active duty and in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a senior Army Aviator and Army Acquisition Corps Officer and served as an Air Operations Officer during Operations Desert Storm and Provide Comfort.
He has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering Management (artificial intelligence) from Missouri University of Science & Technology. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a master’s in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Stanford University. He also has an MBA with Honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from The Air War College and is DAWIA Level III certified in Program Management.
Dr. Parrish is the past President of the West Point Society of Philadelphia and has served on the advisory boards of the American Society for Engineering Management, Delaware Valley Industrial Resources Center, USO of Southeast Pennsylvania/New Jersey, and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
