Class of 1975 | Greenfield-Central High School
David Parker began his journey in agriculture while a student in the Greenfield-Central schools. Beginning in Jr. High Agriculture and FFA, David’s future was shaped as teacher Bob Cherry and then high school Ag teacher Chuck Thompson pushed everyone to be the best. Says David, “FFA taught me leadership, team-building, decision-making – all skills that I use every day in my professional life. It was my honor to become the first Indiana State FFA President from Greenfield-Central.”
David went on to excel at Purdue University while studying for his BA in Agricultural Economics. He was part of the Purdue Student Association, working in the Indiana Statehouse on behalf of Purdue students. He was in several honoraries, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and was also chosen to be a commencement student speaker.
David has had an extensive career in agribusiness. He has spent his entire career helping individuals and organizations improve their performance. David was an original management team member of Agri Business Group which became the largest agribusiness consulting firm in North America. He was a Co-Founder of Agricultural Speakers Network and ABG Ag Services, an agricultural technical research company. Currently David is Executive Vice President of FLM Harvest and also serves on their Board of Advisors. Additionally, he leads OTM his private consulting business. Specializing in strategic planning, sales and marketing, financial management, value-based solutions and branding initiatives, his focus is on the people side of the business. David is a nationally known speaker and facilitator, having delivered over 3,500 presentations, workshops and planning sessions for small, large and Fortune 500 companies in North America, Europe and South America. His focus is on the entire agribusiness value chain with a special emphasis on ag retail. David’s contributions in mentoring industry professionals from new employees to seasoned CEOs and business leaders has been invaluable. He has had an important hand in the advancement of agribusiness in the broader society by serving as a spokesman on behalf of the industry.
David gives back to his community in service as well through the Purdue Alumni Association and Alpha Gamma Rho’s National Board of Directors. David was honored to be the first recipient of the Special Boilermaker Award for service to the Purdue community. He received the Alpha Gamma Rho Grand President’s Award for contributions to the agricultural industry while under 40 years old and its Brother of the Century award only given to 1% of its approximately 60,000 living alumni.
Reminiscing, David says, “My high school memories actually started before high school, with the 1969 New Castle Basketball Sectional. The championship game pitted the two schools that were soon to become Greenfield-Central: Hancock Central and Greenfield High School, of which my fellow honoree, Mike Edwards, was the star. It became apparent that Greenfield was going to win the game. The cheerleaders from both teams met and made a decision that cemented my love for Greenfield-Central. They started to chant: “This is Cougar Country!” And G-CHS was born in all of our hearts.”
Additional impactful experiences included musicals and plays, making wonderful friends, and being a member of the first high school Football State Championships team. David adds, “I would still run through a wall for Coach Busby today. He was a stickler for teamwork and responsibility. We had such a connected group and every win was a team effort.” David greatly appreciated his teachers and administrators, “Mr. Tidrow, our principal, was simply one of the most genuine, warm-hearted, and fair people you would ever hope to meet: skills we all hope to emulate.”
David notes, “G-CHS is where I met my lovely and talented wife, Ann. We have made a wonderful life together and have our fantastic son, Clint, and it all began with shared experiences and memories at G-CHS. David and Ann live in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he enjoys golfing, football and racing. He has a passion for travel, wine, politics and volunteerism. He is still active in the family Hampshire sheep business in Indiana. Well done, David!