MEDIA, Pa. — Gerald “Jerry” Parsons, emeritus member and former chairman of the Brandywine Advisory Board and chairman of CTDI (Communications Test Design Inc.), will give the keynote address at Penn State Brandywine’s commencement ceremony on May 10. Commencement will be held at 10 a.m. in the Commons/Athletic Center gymnasium and will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.
Bachelor’s degrees will be awarded to 160 students, while associate degrees will be awarded to five students.
Parsons attended Penn State Brandywine for two years, completing his associate degree in electrical engineering in 1972, before transitioning to Penn State Harrisburg to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical design engineering technology in 1974. In 1975, he, his father Don and brother Richard founded CTDI out of their garage, later expanding to the current West Chester headquarters, with over 100 locations around the world. . CTDI is a full-service, global test engineering, repair and logistics services company for the telecom, cable and consumer devices industries.
Since graduating from Penn State, Parsons has always been involved with the Brandywine community. In 2017, he and his wife, Eleanor, made a significant gift to name Brandywine’s “Parsons Hall,” the dining hall located in the campus’ Student Union. In addition, he served as chairman of Brandywine’s Advisory Board for many years and is still active with the board.
Parsons is also very active in the local community through philanthropic efforts. He is the president of the Foundation for Catholic Education, which supports the 100+ elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; he serves as co-chair to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Executive Board of Elementary Education; he is a supporter and leadership donor of the United Way of Chester County; and he is a supporter of Bishop Shanahan High School, The SHINE Cancer Foundation through Chester County Hospital, the YMCA of Chester County and Partners in Outreach.