Ed Decker and Christine Miner Minderovic. Member of the board of directors of Dime Savings Bank, Federal National Mortgage Association, Philip Morris Companies, Time Warner lnc., New York Zoological Society, and American Television & Communications Inc.; trustee of Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Howard University, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. ." (February 23, 2023). Notable Black American Men, Book II. In September 2018, Parsons became the Interim Chairman of the Board for CBS replacing Les Moonves. And most Born into a family of humble means in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Queens, New York, Parsons revealed an inherent intelligence but had few aspirations as a youth. In 1999, when AOL and Time Warner merged, parsons became the co-chief operating officer, a position shared with Bob Pittman. Niece of George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Doro Bush, Marvin Bush and Jeb . He was involved in sports at the University of Hawaii; the six-foot-four-inch Parsons played basketball, was the social chairman of his fraternity, but was unenthusiastic about academics. Parsons began working at Dime during a difficult period. [17][18], From the early 1980s through much of the 1990s, Parsons owned a house near the Rockefeller family estate in Pocantico Hills (see Kykuit), where his grandfather was once a groundskeeper. Contemporary Black Biography. Credit: Shahar Azran / Contributor. Washington Post, November 1, 1994, p. D5. did desi arnaz jr have a stroke; moose tracks vs cow tracks ice cream Later that year, it was announced that Parsons had been selected as CEO of America Online. Parsons answered these reservations by promising to devote his full attention to his new $525, 000-a-year post. In contrast, he embraced the Rockefeller Republicans' philosophy of equipping a group with skills so they can achieve what they need on their own. In the Washington Post, Levin called Parsons an exceptional business leader with the broad experience, financial acumen and the knowledge of our business that will strengthen and solidify our corporate management., Parsons accepted the presidency for a reported salary of several million dollars a year. Black Enterprise, October 1994, pp. I know the bank is in good hands., Some considered the Parsons appointment at Time Warner to be a significant achievement for black executives, one that helps pave the way for them to enter the highest positions in business. L. Mpho Mabunda and Shirelle Phelps. As one AOL shareholder told Business Week, "Dick is the right guy to be running the company right now." In spite of its debt, the company reported an overall increase in revenue (6 percent) in early 2004, thanks to three of the Time Warner divisions: film, cable, and network advertising. ." Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: Black Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Business Nationality: United States Executive summary: CEO of Time Warner, 2002-07 Wife: Laura Bush Parsons (three children) Mistress: MacDella Cooper (model, one daughter) Daughter: Ella (b. Aug-2008 with Cooper) Kathleen Ryan served as an assistant to Parsons for a few weeks after she joined the Domestic Council in April, 1975. In 2007, he became the chairman of the board of directors of the Jazz Foundation of America. April 21, 2021 11:45 am ET. Colleagues say Parsons management style helped smooth the painful layoffs that he had to make, wrote Fonda Marie Lloyd and Mark Lowery in Black Enterprise.They credit him with keeping employees informed every step of the way, at one point even producing several videos that were distributed to employees. When Albright departed the Dime, Parsons became chairman and CEO. Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Parsons lost no time in putting his years of Washington deal-making into action. "Richard D. Parsons Named New CEO of AOL Time Warner." Get our quarterly newsletter to stay up-to-date, plus all speech or video narrative bookings near you as they happen. 23 Feb. 2023 . President Ford also used his services, first as a general. Growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Parsons's father, Lorenzo Locklair Parsons, was an electrical technician and his mother, Isabelle (ne Judd), was a homemaker. //