JON PARSONS
Executive Director
Sustainable Sandhills

Originally from Orange County, Calif., Jon Parsons graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1985. He met and married his wife, Caroline, a Sandhills native, in 1987, and they moved back to her family's homeplace in Grays Creek in 1990.

Jon is a registered Professional Engineer and has a wide-ranging work history that has included stints as a research engineer for the Solar Energy Research Institute, a manufacturing and product development engineer for Purolator and Dayco Products, and finally as the owner of his own engineering consulting firm. 

He assumed the role of executive director of Sustainable Sandhills in August of 2005 after being actively involved in the initiative as a volunteer.

Sustainable Sandhills' mission is to promote consensus, cooperation, shared visions and collaborative actions. It is a model for regional sustainability planning that preserves natural resources and enhances economic development, improving the quality of life in the region for current and future generations.