Biography

Business
Kevin Parker is the President of GTG Ventures, which owns an expanding business of three coffee locations and a growing number of employees. He has worked in the public, private, and non-profit sectors and has been a real estate investor since his mid twenties. Kevin was one of the youngest area directors for the youth service organization, Young Life, in the United States, completing five rewarding years of service. Before GTG Ventures, he also served as staff for former Congressman Smith (OR), and started and owned, Parker and Associates, a successful financial services business at the age of 26.

In 2006, he volunteered extensively on the campaign of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers as well as moonlighted on other local and national campaigns.

Community
Kevin first came to Spokane in 1992 as a student at Whitworth University. He was honored to serve as a student assistant in the President’s/Development office, while spending countless hours mentoring students from Mead High School and Northwood Junior High. Kevin maintains many of these relationships to this day, and of these students are now teachers, non-profit staffers, as well businessmen and women in Spokane. After spending a few years away, Kevin and his wife Kerry decided to return to Spokane to raise a family and start their own business. Kevin has deep roots in Spokane, as he serves on the Boards of:

  • YMCA
  • Boys & Girls Club

and is also a committee member of:

  • SNAP
  • Meth Action Team
  • GSI Armed Services Committee
  • Young Life
  • Operation Spokane Heroes, and
  • Rotary

He sees this opportunity to serve the community as his way of “paying rent” to live in such a beautiful city.

Education
Kevin’s life has been founded on the principle that hope trumps circumstance. He learned about facing and overcoming challenges in his life at an early age. As a struggling high school student, Kevin was told that his dreams were too large and his situation too limited. After making a miraculous turn-around his senior year, he was admitted to Whitworth College with one of the lowest GPA’s in the school’s history, radically altering the trajectory of his life. Kevin became the first member of his family to graduate college. He was honored to serve as a student assistant in the President’s/Development office. Kevin later continued his education, completing the M.B.A. program at George Fox University, followed by receiving a certificate of 21st Century Leadership from the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. 

  • Harvard University, Leadership: 21st Century, executive leadership program
  • George Fox University, M.B.A.
  • Whitworth University, BS-Political Science

Family
Kevin is married to his college sweetheart Kerry, of twelve years, and they have two daughters, Emelia and Eve. Kevin and Kerry can be frequently found at their local playground or strolling through Manito Park with their two girls. A Saturday morning tradition Kevin enjoys is taking his daughters to McDonald’s for breakfast.