Parsons’ Chairman and CEO Receives Honorary Doctorate from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

PASADENA, CA (June 13, 2016) – Parsons announced that its Chairman and CEO, Charles L. “Chuck” Harrington, received an honorary doctorate degree from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) on June 11, 2016. The degree was conferred at the Spring 2016 Commencement Ceremony for his outstanding contributions to Cal Poly, higher education in general, and the field of engineering.

A native Californian and registered professional mechanical engineer, Mr. Harrington graduated magna cum laude from Cal Poly in 1981 with a bachelors of science degree in agricultural engineering. He serves on the Cal Poly Foundation Board of Directors and was the Chairman of the Cal Poly President’s Council of Advisors for the past 5 years. He is also a founding member of the Loyal Order of Propeller Heads in the College of Engineering and the Learn by Doing Fund in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

“It was indeed an honor for me to receive an honorary degree from my alma mater,” said Harrington. “Cal Poly has a strong reputation for promoting innovation and technology and for preparing superior graduates who are in high demand in business—whether it be in the fields of architecture, engineering, or agriculture—and I am proud that my wife, Diane, and I are both graduates of Cal Poly.”

He added, “The university had a profound impact on my life, enabling me to grow and develop knowledge of engineering as well as technical and interpersonal skills.”

Upon graduating from Cal Poly, Mr. Harrington joined Parsons working on diverse programs in locations ranging from Saudi Arabia to the North Slope of Alaska and in a broad range of markets from oil and gas to nuclear fuel reprocessing and telecommunications. In early 1991, he assumed responsibility for sales to federal government organizations in the southeastern United States. Mr. Harrington later became Vice President and Program Manager of a multibillion-dollar engineering and construction project with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. Before his appointment in 2006 to the position of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, he was the founding President of one of Parsons’ business units and led Parsons into the biotechnology, semiconductor, and wireless communications markets. In 2008, Mr. Harrington became CEO and then Chairman. He was named President of the corporation in 2009.

In addition to his responsibilities at Parsons and his involvement with Cal Poly, Mr. Harrington serves on the boards of AES Corporation and the J.G. Boswell Company. He also serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Business-Higher Education Forum and the California Science Center Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. Harrington’s educational background also includes graduating with honors from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in finance and marketing. In addition, he attended the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.