A Life-Changing Decision: Joining Parsons in Dubai

My journey with Parsons began in August 2023, and I’ve been based in the vibrant city of Dubai as the EMEA Ethics Investigator ever since. Looking back, I can honestly say that joining Parsons and making the move from Birmingham in the UK to Dubai, UAE, has been the best decision of my life. I am incredibly grateful to be part of such an amazing company that has consistently provided me with immense support and fantastic opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Embracing New Challenges: From Law To Ethics In The Middle East

My career path has been diverse, starting after graduating with my Law degree from Nottingham Trent University. I’ve gained valuable experience within the legal sector, recruitment, and Human Resources/Employee Relations. I’ve always been drawn to new challenges, and “people-focused” roles where I can contribute to problem-solving bring me the greatest satisfaction.

A Vision Realized: Finding My Place In Dubai

I consider myself someone who enjoys pushing my boundaries, exploring new horizons, and embracing new experiences. While I’ve lived in various parts of the UK, moving to Dubai marked my first time living abroad. Interestingly, living in Dubai had been a personal aspiration since my first holiday here in October 2019. From the moment I arrived, I felt a strong sense that this was a place where I could not only live but truly thrive. Now, having made the move, I can confidently say that Dubai is where I am thriving, both personally and professionally – and for that, I have Parsons, especially the incredible people I work alongside, to thank. The culture, the people, and the lifestyle here are truly exceptional.

Overcoming The Leap: Support and Connection In A New Land

The thought of moving abroad, especially alone as I did, can be daunting, even if it aligns with your vision. Leaving behind family, friends, and your familiar routine requires courage, but I firmly believe that growth rarely happens within our comfort zones. While saying goodbye to loved ones was emotional, and I didn’t know many people in Dubai or the reality of living here versus visiting, my life here has exceeded all my expectations. My colleagues at Parsons in Dubai were incredibly welcoming throughout the entire relocation process. From the moment I landed in Dubai, everyone, especially my boss, has been nothing but supportive on my journey.

Building A Community: Friendship And The Parsons Network

On a personal level, I only knew a few distant school friends who had moved to Dubai years ago. Since being here, we’ve rekindled those friendships, which has been wonderful! Dubai is a city of expats, so there’s a shared understanding, making it easy to build a fantastic network of friends. I’m also incredibly grateful for the close friendships I’ve formed with some of my colleagues at Parsons. Furthermore, the Parsons referral scheme has been a fantastic benefit, allowing me to refer a friend who successfully secured a role here in Dubai and is now also enjoying being part of the Parsons family!

Growth And Opportunity: Expanding My Horizons At Parsons

As I’ve progressed in my role at Parsons, the leadership team has been incredibly supportive of my professional development. I’ve had the opportunity to expand my involvement and gain exposure to the wider Parsons network beyond my core responsibilities as the EMEA Ethics Investigator. I’ve been able to leverage my HR skills by participating in “people-focused” initiatives aimed at enabling the growth of other employees, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

Unlock Your Potential: Embracing Opportunity With Parsons

My experience with Parsons in Dubai, both in my specific role and within the broader company, has been incredibly rewarding, propelling my personal and professional growth to new heights. So, if anyone is hesitating about taking the risk and moving abroad with Parsons, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go for it! It might just turn out to be the best decision you ever make, just like it was for me.

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If you happen to run into Parsons Fellow-at-Large and recently appointed Infrastructure North America CTO Jim Birdsall either at an office or on a jobsite, watch where he steps. You might not notice anything out of the ordinary, but he happens to be walking in the footsteps of one of the bridge engineering industry’s most storied figures, Blair Birdsall.

Blair Birdsall attended Princeton University for undergrad and graduate school before taking a job with J.A. Roebling’s Sons’ Company as a lead engineer, where the first major bridge he worked on was the Golden Gate Bridge. From there, Blair jumped from bridge to bridge and wire rope structure to wire rope structure, focusing both on fabrication and on-site delivery, which took him all over the world, including Canada, Alaska, El Salvador, Japan, and Europe.

In 1965, Blair joined Steinman, which had been founded in 1920 by David B. Steinman, a prominent civil engineer known for his work on many significant bridge projects. At the time, the company employed 80 to 100 employees, who Blair lovingly referred to as “the Gang.” By 1989, the year it merged with Ralph M. Parsons Group, Steinman had become Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist, and Birdsall.

Firsthand Knowledge Of Blair’s Impact

Tom Spoth, senior vice president of our Infrastructure North America business unit, Fellow Emeritus, and former Steinman employee, has firsthand knowledge of Blair’s contributions both to the engineering field and to Parsons’ current bridge practice. Tom met Blair in 1984 when he traveled to New York from Virginia for an interview. “I recall thinking he was an important guy, maybe because he was sitting behind a large mahogany desk in a very tidy office. Over the years, I came to learn he was an important guy. He was key to saving the Williamsburg Bridge from demolition, and the methods he and his team developed for cable investigation and preservation at the Golden Gate and Mount Hope Bridges have become standard practice today. Aside from being such a pioneer in bridge engineering, he was also very personable and willing to help us youngsters when in need, which was often.”

Tom says Blair was very outgoing, both socially and when it came to sharing technical knowledge. For example, he would come out on the floor where all the engineers sat and pick a handful of them and say, “Join me at Captain’s Ketch for lunch.” Captain’s Ketch was Blair’s favorite local restaurant in Manhattan. In fact, Steinman held its Christmas party there several times, and, according to Tom, Blair’s speeches at those parties were memorable. Tom says, “One year, [Blair] stood on the table, as an 80-something-year-old man, so everyone could see and hear his vibrant and encouraging speech.”

Tom also was witness to Blair’s generous spirit. He shares, “I remember hearing from the TIBA executive director that he and Blair had gone out to lunch. They each wanted to pay the bill, so Blair flipped a coin and won the privilege to pay. The executive director later learned it was Blair’s one-sided coin. That’s just the way Blair was—generous and always prepared.”

Tom says that one day he was in Blair’s office in Hoboken, New Jersey, and noticed that on the wall behind his desk, Blair had hung a portrait of Charles Sunderland—an engineer at Roebling’s for 50 years, known for developing several advancements in the engineering of steel wires and ropes, as well as prestressed concrete. “He told me to find somebody you really respect and try to follow in his footsteps and that the portrait was a reminder to him to do just that.” Years later, Tom continues, “I was at the current Roebling Museum and there was the portrait, and a similar one of Blair, hanging next to each other on display. I looked at those two great men for a while and pondered the contributions they made to the world of bridge engineering.”

Through this approach, Blair was instrumental in supporting the Gang in their careers going forward. The work they did had a massive impact through the structures they designed, but also in building the repository of technical knowledge that carried over into Parsons and continues to grow today. And while his coworkers certainly recognized Blair’s importance, they weren’t the only ones—the City of New York named him “Mr. Bridges” and designated May 24, 1984, as “Blair Birdsall Day.”

A Shared Passion

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that, like his grandfather, Jim Birdsall developed a passion for engineering. When Jim was 13, Blair, who was by then walking with a cane, called the deputy director of New York City Bridges to take Jim on-site at the Brooklyn Bridge, where they climbed down into the anchorage. On that visit, Jim was able to get down into parts of the bridge that aren’t public, where the main cable splayed apart into individual strands or individual bundles. This field trip served to fuel Jim’s infatuation with engineering and established the field as one of his true joys in life.

Jim would go on to graduate from Lehigh University, which holds a collection of Blair Birdsall documents (approximately 180 boxes), and earn his PhD from EPFL, in Switzerland. He joined Parsons 24 years ago, working as an associate bridge engineer in what had been the old Steinman office, and his grandfather’s proteges became his mentors. Now as the CTO of Parsons Infrastructure North America and a Parsons Fellow, Jim reinvests in the company and carries on in his grandfather’s spirit by sharing his technical knowledge, perspective, and joy for the practice with colleagues and collaborators.

Bridging Generations Globally

Like it did for Blair, Jim’s love for engineering has led him all over the States and abroad, including to Abu Dhabi, where he lived with his family and worked for five years, and to Saudi Arabia, where he worked with the Public Investment Fund and a number of development companies. Also, like his grandfather, Jim has made an indelible impact on many young engineers, has introduced many best practices to Parsons, and has led with a generous spirit. Jim has and will work on some amazing bridges, but when all is said and done, perhaps the greatest bridge he will ever extend is the one between his grandfather, Blair, and the next generation of engineers at Parsons.

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Recognizing Our Volunteer Of The Year Winners

Our commitment to the communities where we live and work underpins our success as a company and our dedication to a People First culture. In 2025, our employees dedicated over 24,000 hours to volunteer work, demonstrating their passion for helping others. Across those thousands of hours, members of the Parsons team have found ways to give back and to bring their professional experience and expertise to fuel their passions and their community impact.

As we mark the ninth anniversary of our Volunteer of the Year program, we honor the individuals whose efforts made a significant impact and exemplify our spirit of giving back. I’m proud to recognize their efforts and invite you to join me in congratulating our awardees and thanking them and our volunteers globally for how they’re making a difference around the world.

Read on to learn more about our Volunteers of the Year!

We’d also like to highlight Anees, Daniela, and Emma, additional standouts among this year’s applicants.

Honoring Impact

These stories are a snapshot of the contributions our team members are making worldwide. At Parsons, we know imagining next requires more than technical expertise—it demands empathy, dedication, and a strong commitment to making the world a better place. As we continue to lead in global infrastructure and national security, we remain equally committed to empowering our team members to be global stewards for good and for their volunteer efforts. Together, we’ll continue to make a difference—one act of giving at a time.

In recognition of our Volunteer of the Year honorees, Parsons is pleased to donate to the MIA Recovery Network, FIRST Chesapeake, and Fredericksburg Trails Alliance (FTA)—furthering our impact on veteran support, STEM education advancement, and community vibrancy.

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Hi! I am Olive Okoro, a Master of Science student studying Economics at Texas A&M University. In July 2024, I received an internship to work for Parsons. Since then, I have been able to travel, gain real corporate experience (albeit never in an office, but living in a post-COVID world doesn’t make that a rare thing to say), and learn about the lives of dozens of professionals in the company who are working to help move society forward.

My AI Awakening

Before going on the adventure to my first conference with Parsons, I must make one point: the amount of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that the corporate world actually uses is beyond my imagination. It surprised me at first because in college I was taught to not use AI, or at the very least, limit my use and make original thoughts instead.

However, in my role, I was encouraged every day to utilize the abilities of AI and make it into my own personal assistant. I will never forget the summer day when I was having my daily meetings with my manager, Laryssa Parker, and she described AI as a brilliant intern.

I thought to myself: “Then what am I?” But that is the thing! I am still a brilliant intern! However, the difference between a human intern and an AI system is that people can make calculated decisions and add far more nuance to the information AI systems dish out. That was one of the beauties of having the position; I had to ask more questions and get down to the nitty-gritty of assignments and deliverables daily, with some help.

Palm Trees And Professional Growth

Okay, moving on to the palm trees I was talking about earlier. One of my absolute favorite parts about working at Parsons was the breadth of experiences that my internship allowed. It was a lot… And I mean a lot!

I had the opportunity to attend APCO (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials) 2024 International’s Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla., and be face-to-face with the people I’ve spent hours meeting with over Teams. APCO is an event where frontline telecommunicators, communication center managers, public safety communicators, and service vendors congregate to sell their products, services, and networks.

The Power of In-Person Connection

Parsons facilitated networking opportunities where I met our clients, industry partners, and my coworkers in person, which humanized the corporate world. The ability to officially shake hands with someone and sit down for dinner with them is something that cannot be replaced with virtual weekly meetings and introduction calls. I talked to so many people from different walks of life throughout the trip. I met a mom of two children my age while on the bus to the block party at Universal Studios. We talked about her professional experience and my college experience. I met two more women from different companies and explored other parts of the rides and exhibits together. On my last rollercoaster ride of the night, I met an 18-year-old girl named Hope, who has homeschooled her entire life and is now studying to become a Flight Surgeon for NASA!

Six months later, I am still working as a Strategy Intern for Parsons. I still do my tasks while completing my courses, and the flexibility helps me balance my classes while still working in a professional environment and gaining corporate skills for postgrad.

Closing Reflections On My Time At Parsons

Parsons has been a massive help with my last year of college, and I could not have asked for a better working environment so young in my career. I’m grateful to everyone I have met and will meet for the next few months. The people at Parsons are genuinely incredible; it amazes me how much life is all around me and how much I can learn when I am allowed to explore with a company that values connection and consistent knowledge. Thank you, Parsons!

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“These are yours now,” Ryaan Ganjuei’s grandmother says, handing over a stack of photo albums. As it turns out, the albums had been a gift from our founder, Ralph Parsons, to Ryaan’s grandfather, Dr. Ahmad Fahim, cataloging the company’s growth over the years, its relationship with Ahmad, and their collaborative work in Saudi Arabia.

Ryaan, a project controls engineer working in Riyadh on the Qiddiya gigaproject, was surprised to learn of his grandfather’s relationship with Ralph, something that his grandmother disclosed to him just a year and a half ago, when he joined Parsons. According to Ryaan’s family, his grandfather’s relationship with Ralph began around 1958 and continued for a decade.

Dr. Fahim began his professional life as a surgeon, but according to Ryaan, always had an interest in engineering and physics; was revered by friends, family, and colleagues alike; and in general had a “strong and commanding presence and always owned the room.” According to Ryaan, he also was a great poet and musician, a true renaissance man. Eventually, Dr. Fahim made the switch from surgery to his true passion—building the dazzling Saudi Arabia that we know today.

Ralph’s and Ahmad’s paths first crossed when Ralph was looking into the oil and gas industry in Saudi Arabia. Ahmad, having founded the first private oil and gas company in the country, became a client of Ralph’s, introduced him to other potential clients, and helped him get established in the industry. For years the pair traveled to oil refineries in the US and Germany. But, as his grandmother relayed to Ryaan, the relationship soon blossomed into a friendship. Ralph and his wife traveled extensively with Ryaan’s grandfather and grandmother, who on a few occasions were guests on Ralph’s yacht and at his ranch.

Ryaan, who grew up spending summers with his grandfather in the south of France, can only imagine the adventures he and Ralph had together, his grandfather being an early foodie who introduced Ryaan and his brother to sophisticated cuisine from around the world.

But beyond that, it was his grandfather’s appetite for engineering and cutting-edge advancements that left an indelible mark on the family. Currently, several of Ryaan’s family members are contributing to the growth of Saudi Arabia in some capacity, whether through real estate development, construction, or culture and the arts.

Ryaan wasn’t aware of his grandfather’s connection when he chose to work for Parsons, he says, choosing our company instead because of our role in every major project in Saudi Arabia. But he’s delighted to have learned about this other side of Ahmad and the work he did 70 years ago. He says, “My grandfather would be so proud of his friend’s legacy in this region and impressed with the country’s meteoric growth.” And what’s extra-special to Ryaan is having this unique bond with Parsons, which he says, “not only makes me proud but also keeps me driven, motivated, and invested in the company’s, and country’s, long-term success.”

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My time at Parsons has been an incredible journey filled with opportunities for growth and development. I started with Parsons in 2019 as the very first Security Operations Center (SOC) Apprentice; I was eager to learn from the team’s highly knowledgeable and talented people. I was astonished by the longevity of their careers with Parsons and knew I was in the best place to begin a career in cybersecurity. From day one, I was impressed by their expertise and dedication to keeping Parsons safe from cyber threats.  

After three years, I transitioned to the Business Information Security Office as a Strategy Advisor. This was an exciting opportunity for me to expand my skill set, work on building security strategies, and interact with the business. The foundation of skills I built in the SOC proved invaluable in this role, allowing me to understand the technical aspects of cybersecurity while also being able to communicate effectively with business leaders and stakeholders. 

One of the things that made this role even more fulfilling was having the best leadership team supporting me every step of the way. They provided guidance, mentorship, and resources that allowed me to excel in my role while also growing professionally.  

In January of 2024, my leadership team supported me in my move to Dubai to take on the role of International Business Information Security Officer (BISO). It was another first for the team, which was incredibly exciting. This was a drastic move from my home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but thus far, it has proved incredibly rewarding thanks to having such great support from my colleagues throughout the company. One of my major personal goals was moving outside the United States. I did not necessarily ever dream of moving to Dubai, but the opportunity to move presented itself, and I took the leap.  

Before moving here, I had never been to Dubai, but I am not one to shy away from a challenge. Saying goodbye to my friends and family as I embarked on my journey to my new life was hard. There were tears of happiness and sadness at the airport as my family dropped me off. After an 18-hour flight and an 11-hour time difference, I had landed in my new home. I recall my first day at the office in Dubai when I was still jetlagged but incredibly excited. All of my peers were very welcoming, and I am forever grateful.  

Since then, I have made Dubai feel like home with new friends, family visiting, and rewarding work. I easily found a lovely apartment in a very safe city that feels like home. Many people were in the same situation as I was, moving to Dubai by themselves. As a result, building a community has been very easy. I would highly recommend relocating to the UAE if you have the opportunity, not only for the career advancements but also for the multicultural environment.  

Despite the challenges along the way, I am grateful for this opportunity, which has allowed me to grow personally and professionally while contributing positively to our global mission. The company’s focus on innovation and commitment to excellence has shaped my career greatly while allowing me access to talented individuals who are just as passionate about their work. 

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I grew up on the water in Monterey, California, with my twelve siblings, and it was only natural for me to take up fishing when I was a kid. Saltwater fishing was my passion growing up – to the point where I would watch the daily tide reports. With my love of the water and being from a military family, I decided to join the U.S. Navy.

After serving 20 years in the Navy as a submariner, I retired to Colorado in 2002. With my passion for fishing still in me, I started regular spin fishing in Colorado rivers and lakes. A good friend and fellow Veteran introduced me to fly fishing 15 years ago, and he was actively involved with an organization called Project Healing Waters.

Project Healing Waters was created in 2005 at Walter Reed Medical Center by a Navy Captain who had developed a passion for fly fishing in 1982 after Naval Training in the Pacific Northwest’s Snake River. During his stay at Walter Reed, he saw firsthand the returning wounded from Iraq (and later Afghanistan), and it was this witnessing, combined with his own experience, which inspired him to create the opportunity for Veterans to heal their trauma through fly fishing.

When I first joined Project Healing Waters in 2011, I really didn’t know what to expect. I started off slow as a participant and learned many skills from the chapter’s mentors, including how to build my own fly rod. During the first three years of my involvement, I witnessed firsthand the extent to which the program helped Veterans with all disabilities. Each Veteran has a different story, but I often hear how the organization has saved lives. Members include Veterans who served all the way back to the Vietnam War. Out of all the leading disabilities the organization has helped, veterans with post-traumatic stress are the most common.

After three years with the organization and achieving a level of comfort with my fly-fishing skills, I needed to take it to the next level. I knew I could be a mentor and help Veterans in a unique way by adapting my life-long passion for fishing to help create a protected space for Veterans where I could really listen to them and hear their stories in a completely nonjudgmental way. I was able to apply my combined strengths to help those in the program who needed it the most.

After qualifying as a mentor, trip lead, fly rod building assistant, and volunteering for 1:1 Take-Vet Fishing (TAV) events, I have completed what I initially set out to do: help Veterans heal through fly fishing. For the past 15+ years, I have had the opportunity to build many relationships with veterans across all services. My favorite and most enjoyable time is when I have an opportunity to help Veterans catch their first fish on the fly rod they have built themselves.

At the Denver chapter, we provide all activities and resources that prepare participants for every element of their experience with Project Healing Waters. All resources are free to all Active Duty and Veterans, including fishing trips, casting, and rigging classes, fly tying classes, Veterans Administration outreach, mentor training, and a First Aid, CPR, and AED Course. The Fly Rod Building course teaches Veterans to build a fly rod in three weeks, which they use upon completing the course. River 101 teaches Veterans the basics right on the water, including what to expect when fishing in a river and how to enter and exit safely.

Day and overnight fishing trips are some of the favorite activities for Veterans—they can experience the river in the most beautiful areas of Colorado. During these trips, the Veteran pairs with a mentor for the day and learns all the basics of fly fishing. It is during this time that the Veteran heals the most because they can focus solely on being on the river in nature, and all the other things just go by the wayside.

Since becoming involved with the Parsons MILVET program and my work with Project Healing Waters, I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer with the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) in Denver. Parsons has supported TAPS as a mission partner for more than 20 years.

In May 2024, we even recorded an interview with myself and Justin Parsons (Project Healing Waters participant and a Parsons employee) during a Take a Vet Fishing outing (posted on our Parsons MILVET YouTube playlist). I am proud of the support that Parsons provides to its Veterans and honored to partner with MILVET to share the mission of Project Healing Waters to reach as many Veterans as possible.

We perform outreach at chapters across the country in addition to established locations in Department of Defense Hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Clinics. In 2023, the organization helped 6,056 participants from all service eras and branches, aided by the commitment of 6,458 active volunteers.

I continue to support Project Healing Waters because of what the organization represents: a space for service members and Veterans to receive the deserved opportunity to help heal. Whether it’s being out on the river and focusing solely on fishing or participating in the organization’s other programs – through Project Healing Waters, the opportunity will always be there for them.

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No matter where you find yourself in life, attaining greater sustainability is always within reach and worth pursuing to ensure we live in a healthy and vigorous world. To me, this means using the tools I have, skills I’ve learned, and the network I’ve built to make a meaningful contribution towards sustainability. Parsons has played a key role as an extension of a series of foundational life experiences in motivating and encouraging me to pursue sustainability as a core value in my projects and daily practice. 

My own journey began as a Venetian blown glass artist, traveling the world to learn new techniques and showcase my work. However, I eventually realized that I craved stability and a deeper connection to community. This led me to State College, Pennsylvania, where I was exposed to a vibrant community of artists, scientists, and engineers. Through collaborations with these innovators, I helped design and build strawbale buildings on the Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. This experience inspired me pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. With this education and my previous experiences in art and building design, I have been able to integrate economic, environmental, and community sustainability into my personal and professional development. By building innovative paths towards a sustainable future with community at its core, I am committed to making a positive impact on both people and the environment.  

In my day-to-day work, I apply this unique background and experience to contribute to the culture of sustainability at Parsons and to add value for our clients. As a member of Parsons’ Energy and Environment group in Syracuse, New York, I am dedicated to creating infrastructure that has a positive impact on communities. For more than a decade, I have worked alongside an exceptional team of environmental engineers, scientists, and contractors to remediate Onondaga Lake. This project has not only restored the lake’s natural habitat but also provided recreational access to a culturally significant resource in the heart of Central New York. By bringing together stakeholders and building consensus, we transformed both natural and human communities while addressing contamination and dissolving the boundary between an industrial past and a technological future. Our efforts have not only improved the environment but also helped revitalize an economically struggling city with a rich history. 

After the completion of the Onondaga Lake Cleanup, our team took on a major role with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). We developed a program to address legacy groundwater contamination, abandoned gas and oil well impacts, and various environmental liabilities throughout the state. Throughout this process, we have prioritized well-being by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, addressing environmental concerns, and listening to the needs of various communities. Our team is also spearheading the Green Sustainable Remediation program for the state of New York to reduce waste, energy, and GHG when investigating, designing, and implementing environmental cleanups, environmental liabilities and superfund sites. Part of this work involves leveraging existing evaluation tools and sometimes creating new ones to build practical procedures and enable project managers to determine the best solutions to the challenge of integrating sustainability into construction and remediation. 

Beyond this, I am a regular co-leader for sessions in Parsons’ Sustainability Mentorship group, where we enhance awareness through presenting professional skills, personal interests, and the state of sustainability across the industry by education, team building, and internal education with colleagues. It is via this group that I became aware of and am now supporting the implementation of a Clean Fuel Standard for one of our long-standing clients, Seattle City Light (a public utility in the state of Washington) to promote the transition to a clean energy future through enhanced transportation electrification and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  

Each of us brings something unique to the Mentorship Group which helps tie personal experiences together with work projects which in turn encourages others to share their backgrounds and interests. This amplifies our capacity to design infrastructure that meets customers’ needs while connecting human and natural communities. No matter where you are geographically or metaphorically, a path towards sustainability is always possible with dedication and hard work.

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As engineers, we like to plan, but often, true delight can come from the unpredictable and spontaneous. If you know me, you probably know I live on Long Island. After a light snowstorm one morning, my wife and I decided it’d be nice to spend the day “Out East,” taking in the snowy sights and enjoying one of our favorite pizza places in Sag Harbor. Quite by accident, we found ourselves in Springs, NY.

Now, if you’ve read Chapter One of “The Story of Parsons Corporation” titled “The Early Years,” you’d know that Ralph M. Parsons was born to a fisherman in Springs, NY, and raised in neighboring Amagansett, NY – both modest in affluence despite their proximity to the wealthy East Hampton, home to many celebrities and well-known magnates. Well, until today, that was just a simple factoid in the back of my mind. But as you can imagine, I became very excited after noticing a large sign over an old red building that read “Parsons Blacksmith.” After executing a VERY SAFE U-turn, I was able to trudge through the snow to peer inside at a very familiar setting – you see, my father is a blacksmith!

Did you think this was going to be some history about Parsons Corporation? That’d be fitting for our 80th anniversary, but in fact, this is a story with some history of the Parsons Family.

Right next to the blacksmith shop at Parsons Place is the Springs Town Community Library, housed in the Ambrose Parsons House, which was added to the National Historic Register in 1995. And, thanks to Linda, the Librarian, I was able to make my way upstairs to the historical society archives and flip through the files on the Parsons Family. One day, I’ll have to go back to read through the files more closely, but I was able to learn a few things:

1. The Blacksmith Shop was owned by Ralph’s uncle Charles.
2. The Blacksmith Shop was moved to its current location sometime after 1981. The move was made possible by a grant from the Ralph M Parsons Foundation! As the son of a blacksmith, I can very much relate to the spirit of building, solving problems, and tinkering, which no doubt grew inside young Ralph, working around the forge and anvil. You’ll note there’s a photograph of a young Ralph forging steel in one of the attached photos.
3. The Parsons family seems to have played a prominent role in the Springs community, though it will take further study to appreciate the breadth and depth – I’m not yet sure WHO Ambrose Parsons was.

I hope to make it back to learn more about the family, but a copy of “The Story of Parsons Corporation” will be en route to the Historical Society next week. Below are a few photographs from my serendipitous experience. Enjoy!

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Here at Parsons, our people empower us to imagine next as a company because it’s something they do themselves every day. Whether delivering first-of-a-kind technology solutions or developing choose-your-own-adventure career paths, Parsons people are innovative, bold, and never afraid to try something new. A prime example of such a person is Rebecca Wilson, who came to Parsons through a 2023 summer internship.

Before finding Parsons, Rebecca was already an accomplished professional, with a BS and a PhD in biochemistry and over a decade researching, working on a variety of projects, and teaching students at both the middle school and university levels. Along the way, during graduate school, Rebecca discovered a love for programming—even earning an interdisciplinary minor in computational science. That interest never faded, so when the opportunity arose, she decided to go back to school and transition her career toward programming and software engineering. And that choice is what led her to an internship at Parsons this past summer.

Rebecca’s primary role during her summer 2023 internship was developing internal software aimed at enhancing her team’s operational efficiency. This project was extremely successful, saving significant time and uncovering a promising direction for further exploration. Throughout her latest degree program and her internship at Parsons, she’s improved her programming skills and been exposed to a variety of new tools and techniques, broadening her technical expertise and perspective. Rebecca’s summer experience was also enriched by the internship program series, Meet the BUs, allowing her to glean insights from Parsons’ top leaders, and through the company’s Internship Mentorship Program, she found a helpful mentor to further enhance her time here.

When asked about what she enjoyed the most about her internship, Rebecca said, “I truly enjoyed working on my project at Parsons, knowing that our efforts make a difference in the world. What particularly stands out to me is the sense of community and teamwork. Everyone collaborates to address problems as they arise, showcasing genuine care and support for one another.”  

These days, Rebecca is no longer a Parsons intern—she’s an associate software engineer on our Defense and Intelligence team. It’s been an exciting journey so far for Rebecca, and we’re sure that she’ll bring her unique experience and perspective to each project she encounters on her new quest with us. And now, all she has to do is what she always has—imagine next.

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