Amy Parsons, executive vice chancellor of the Colorado State University System, was named a Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business on Tuesday, August 15.

More than 250 nominations were received for the award, and Parsons was one of 36 finalists named, prior to being announced as one of the 12 award winners.

“This is a great tribute to Amy – to her vision, knowledge, and hard work and all she’s done to grow the partnership between the Colorado State University System and the Metro Denver community,” said Dr. Tony Frank, president of CSU and chancellor of the CSU System. “We are tremendously proud of her leadership on behalf of our campuses and the community as a whole.”

The award was presented during an annual luncheon at the Marriott City Center in Denver, and is meant to recognize women of excellence in business and community. Honorees are judged on their innovation, entrepreneurship, professional accomplishment, and community leadership.

Parsons has been with CSU for 13 years, and served as General Counsel and Vice President of Operations for CSU prior to taking on the role of Executive Vice Chancellor of the CSU System.

Parsons is an active member of the community, and serves as an example to her two young daughters, Sophie and Maddie, as well as a mentor to many CSU professionals. While she serves as an informal mentor to many, she is also an active participant in the CSU Advancement Mentorship Program.

In the civic community, Parsons serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, The Confucius Institute, is a Trustee of the Western Stock Show Association, is on the Metro Denver Economic Development Committee Executive Committee, and serves as a member of Colorado Concern and Colorado’s Access Cuba Group with Senator Bennet. Parsons is also a charter member of History Colorado’s Colorado! Program, and serves as the CSU representative for the Biennial of the Americas, joining the Governor’s trips to Mexico and Brazil with other Colorado business leaders.

As the Executive Vice Chancellor of the CSU System, Parsons oversees strategy and initiatives across the three CSU System institutions (CSU Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global Campus), and throughout Colorado. She manages strategic partnerships and projects including the National Western Center redevelopment in Denver, the Todos Santos Center in Mexico, the Ascend program based in Fort Collins, and the construction of CSU’s new football stadium. She oversees the operations of the Board of Governors of the CSU System, and the Denver System office.

“Amy identifies opportunities and develops revolutionary solutions that find innovative approaches to the financial restraints of an educational institution,” wrote Dr. Tony Frank, president of CSU and chancellor of the CSU System, in his nomination submission for Parsons. “Amy constantly finds new ways to meet CSU’s 150-year-old Land Grant mission.”

Prior to her time at CSU, Amy practiced law at the firm Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck, specializing in commercial litigation, where she represented CSU. Amy’s previous roles at CSU include Vice President for University Operations in Fort Collins, Deputy General Counsel and Special Assistant Attorney General for CSU and Assistant Professor in the School of Education, teaching the Law of Higher Ed and Higher Ed Administration.