|
Blanche Cecile Parks photograph collection
Date: 1967-2017
This is a collection of photographs showing Blanche Parks and her family. Blanche, the daughter of Nile Eugene, Sr. and Fern (Dickinson) Williams, grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated from Leavenworth High School. After high school, she attended Washburn University and graduated with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Also, she earned the Kansas Certified Public Manager designation from Kansas University. After graduation, Blanche taught in the Topeka Public Schools and later worked as a manager and director in various Kansas State agencies. She developed, implemented and directed the Kansas 529 College Savings Program in the Kansas State Treasurer's office. While director, the program held $40 million in assets and ranked in the top five college savings programs in the nation. Also, she was employed in the Kansas Department of Human Resources as a Special Assistant to the Secretary, she oversaw the Job Corps Program for the State of Kansas, the Governor's Council on Employment and Training. Also, she served as a Senior Manager in the Division of Information and Community Resources at the Department on Aging. Blanche served on the Job Service Employers' Committee and the Summer Youth Program under the Job Training Partnership Act, National Advisory Committee on Special Minimum Wages under the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, Elizabeth Dole. Blanche is active in many community organizations, which includes President of the YWCA Board of Directors, the Kansas Children's Service League Topeka Advisory Council, Washburn University Board of Regents, Downtown Topeka Rotary, Topeka Human Relations Commission, Melody Brown Board of Directors, established the YWCA East Blanche Parks Girls to Girl Program, Who's Who in American Women, and the National Board of Directors for the YWCA. She received many awards including Who's Who in American Women. Blanche married Topeka attorney Sherman A. Parks, Jr. and they have two children Michael and Stacey. In 2000, Sherman and Blanche were named to Topeka's 2000 Profiles in Power by The Topeka Capital-Journal.
|