Celebrating Local Black Heroes: Alisa Parker-LaGrone
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ALISA PARKER-LAGRONE
Alisa Parker-LaGrone, Managing Attorney for Legal Services of South Central Michigan and co-founder of ANP Consulting LLC, hopes to “equip people to take advantage of every opportunity, and remove barriers that keep them from living the best life they can.”
We know she is doing just that through her work and the ways she spends her energy.
Parker-LaGrone serves on several local boards and committees: Charlie’s P.L.A.C.E., Sisters in Business, the Judge Charles A. Pratt Bar Association and the Harold & Grace Upjohn Foundation. She also serves as co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, as well as the Michigan Racial Justice Collaborative. Through her volunteerism, she lifts up issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within law practices.
INSPIRATION
Parker-LaGrone explains that she has grown to be inspired by her parents. Her dad “has always been a community and youth advocate,” she shares. He taught her the importance of giving back. She goes on to explain that her mom taught her that she could do anything. She gave her “space as a young person to dream big and try different things.”
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
When asked what she would tell her younger self if given the opportunity, Parker-LaGrone shares that she would encourage herself to “relax, have more fun, and see more of the world.” Parker-LaGrone explains that she was very serious about her educational goals in her youth.
She realizes now that she could have worked hard and played hard, and that the two things are not mutually exclusive.
She shares, “It’s important to take opportunities to study abroad and explore other parts of this world. Taking time to do these things can only be beneficial to your life.”
Alisa Parker-LaGrone and her commitment to DEI work is one of the many ways she gives back to the community. Through her work, Parker-LaGrone sets a foundation that begins to remove barriers which folks in our community may face.
