Mark Parker (born 21 October 1955) is the Chief Executive Officer of Nike, Inc., he was named the third CEO of the company in 2006.Parker was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the son of Elizabeth and Bruce Parker. He earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science at Penn State University in 1977. He is married to Kathy Parker and has three children, Jennifer, Megan, and Matthew. He ran on the Penn State track and cross country teams.Parker joined Nike in 1979 as a footwear designer based in its R&D facility in Exeter, New Hampshire. He became Division Vice President in charge of development in 1987, Corporate Vice President in 1989, General Manager in 1993, and Vice President of Global Footwear in 1998. Prior to becoming vice president of Nike, he served as co-president (with Charlie Denson) of the Nike brand beginning in March 2001. He still participates in shoe design, most notably on the Nike HTM project, creating limited edition footwear alongside Nike designer Tinker Hatfield and creative consultant Hiroshi Fujiwara. He has committed to ensuring that Nike remain environmentally conscious. After 10 years of work, Parker and his team launched the first "Green Shoe" that adheres to the principles of sustainability. He is also responsible for other brands in Nike's portfolio, including Converse Inc. and Hurley International. Wikipedia