Richard S. Parnell

Rick Parnell serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund. Mr. Parnell oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s operations, including finance, grants, budget, HR, operations and board liaison. He supervises  the Foundation staff of more than 200 people and ensures the efficient and effective allocation of resources to maximize the impact of a budget of more than US$100 million annually. He leads the organization's Strategic Planning Committee, which is responsible for creating and directing the Foundation's core mission and activities.

Mr. Parnell serves on the Partnership Board of the mHealth Alliance; the Board of Directors of the U.S. Fund for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and the Board of Directors of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Before joining the United Nations Foundation in 2001, Mr. Parnell was the senior operations officer for the American Red Cross National Development team and oversaw the day-to-day operations of a $1 billion fund-raising campaign for the national organization and its 1,100 local chapters.

Mr. Parnell also served as chief of staff to the president of the University of Florida for 10 years. He holds a B.A. in American History from the University of Florida.