Noted as one of the first female journalists on TV in North Dakota, Kathleen Dakota Parker is proud to have earned the trust of her communities, both personally and on a larger screen. She started as a writer for the Associated Press in 1973, and continued on to become a journalist with CBS Network News, a reporter and anchorwoman for Station KFMB-TV, the president of Pacific Communications, the owner and operator of Station KOWL-AM, Inc., and the co-founder of Parker Communications/Parker Pacific. Ms. Parker also garnered experience as the owner and operator of Stations KIKI-AM and KAMI-FM through Island Communications and iHeartMedia, Inc., the owner and operator of the Station KIKI Licensing Corporation in Japan, and the owner and operator of Station KLZE-FM through Cumulus Media Inc. and Mountain Communications. Now, she is serving as the owner and operator of Stations KTCZ-FM and KTCJ-AM through Parker Communications/Parker Pacific and iHeartMedia, Inc., the owner and operator of Station KXTZ-FM through Desert Communications, and as the owner and operator of Stations KHYL-FM and KAHI-AM through Delta Communications and iHeartMedia, Inc.
One of the highlights of Ms. Parker’s career was raising $50 million for charity while she was with a radio station in Minneapolis. She has always been socially conscious of making things better for people, and is especially dedicated to women’s rights. To further this mission, Ms. Parker authored “The Lioness Within: The Easy Way to Build a Business” in 2015 to help female entrepreneurs and business-owners. In it, she includes tips for finding a niche, building an online and international presence, keeping customers, and breaking through obstacles, among others. Another cause Ms. Parker is dedicated to is wildlife. She co-founded the Endangered Species Recovery Council in 1998, and remained involved until 2009. She also served on the board of directors of the Minnesota Zoological Society.
Ms. Parker prepared for her endeavors by earning a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies at Barnard College in 1970 and completing both an East Asian fellowship in the Graduate School of Journalism between 1972 and 1973 and postgraduate coursework from Harvard University in 1990. She then joined prominent organizations like the Barnard College Leadership Council and the Young President Organization.
When Ms. Parker has free time, she enjoys writing, walking, and art.