Tennille Parker

Mentorship Commitment Preference: Engage in a long-term mentorship (connect with your mentee throughout the semester, outside of LinkUp events — frequency and format are flexible). Tennille is opening to meeting in person or online.

Industry: Federal Government Grant Management; Management

Employer: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Job Title: Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations

Areas Tennille is interested in mentoring: 

• Career Planning
• Interview Preparation
• Leadership Growth
• Communication Skills

Bio: Tennille Smith Parker is currently the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the Office of Field Operations (OFO) in the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She plays a critical leadership role, ensuring effective implementation of HUD’s policies and programs across the country through its regional and field offices. The DAS of OFO serves as a bridge between CPD’s headquarters and its field offices, helping to coordinate the delivery of services and resources at the local level, ensuring that CPD’s programs are delivered effectively at the local level and ensuring that the department’s mission is advanced through direct engagement with communities across the country. Most recently, Ms. Parker was the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) in CPD. She oversaw the nation’s largest and only federal disaster recovery grant portfolio that specifically helps low- and moderate-income families and communities rebuild after catastrophic disasters. Her efforts have resulted in the rehabilitation of 16,000 homes and nearly $100B of disaster recovery grants awarded since
2010.Ms. Parker previously worked for the city of Falls Church, Virginia. She was responsible for the development and implementation of affordable housing products and programs and administering the city’s CDBG and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. 

How did you get your first job? My research at Mason led me to a desire for a career in public service. In graduate school, I applied for the then federal Presidential Management Intern program, which provided an accelerated pathway to training and professional growth. Through that, I was able to land my target job working at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the Community Development Block Grant program.

If you were starting your career today, what is the one piece of advice you would give yourself? Be open to exploring all opportunities and cultivate and sustain relationships with all you have the pleasure to meet.

In what ways has your career path been unique or unconventional? I think my path was unique in that I had intended to go to law school and become a private practice attorney focused on Constitutional law.  I took the LSAT exam and was discouraged with the score I never even applied to any law school. At the same time, I had followed up on the advice of a Mason peer who encouraged me to consider graduate school and that is how I landed a graduate fellowship, which led to the Presidential Management Intern opportunity and ultimately to the career I have now.  

What career paths have you explored or transitioned between? I though the path to public service was specifically focused on federal government opportunities, but after working in the federal government, I learned how critical State and local government are to providing core services for communities.  I left federal government after 5 years (taking a pay cut!) and decided to try local government community development work. I loved it and only left local government when budget cuts resulted in the conversion of my position to part time. I ultimately returned to the federal government, but I am so glad I made that transition to local.

Tennille is open to participating in informational interviews