Joshua Parsons, Vice-Chairman

Josh Parsons has served as an Army infantry officer, prosecutor, and no-nonsense conservative executive. He has delivered on promises to fight crime and run an efficient county government that sets conditions for working people and families to thrive here in Lancaster County.

In November 2023 Josh was reelected as County Commissioner, earning more votes than any commissioner candidate in Lancaster County history. He is a leader in keeping Lancaster County safe and an expert in the criminal justice system.

Previously, Josh, together with a new Warden, organized the turnaround operation of the Lancaster County Prison. They engineered solutions, including a game changing program called PrisonStat, which uses data and metrics to hold leaders accountable for results, dramatically improving the organization and winning state/national awards. Josh was also a founding partner of Joining Forces, the first unified countywide effort to take on the heroin/opioid crisis, which helped bring about a 50% reduction in overdose deaths. He is the Chairman of the Lancaster County Prison Board, the Youth Intervention Center Board of Managers, and the Lancaster County Criminal Justice Advisory Board. He is Liaison to the County 911 Center and the Department of Public Safety.

In the District Attorney’s Office Josh earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor. He worked on thousands of criminal cases, including homicides, and was the DA’s representative to the Special Emergency Response Team (the County SWAT team.) He also explored new ways to stop recidivism as a founding member of the Lancaster County Veterans Court team, which provides a second chance to veterans in trouble.

Skilled in the courtroom, Josh taught as an instructor for Trial Advocacy class at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in the evenings for 17 years.  

Josh is also a former soldier. The Army reinforced the values he learned growing up in Lancaster County – integrity, responsibility, and service. He served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and primary staff officer for a battalion of 870 soldiers. Among his decorations are the Expert Infantryman’s Badge and the Army Parachutist Badge – awarded for becoming an Army paratrooper.  

Josh understands the value of hard work and education: he had many jobs growing up, including as a janitor, and earned scholarships along the way. He is a graduate of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, where he earned a full merit scholarship and the University of Delaware, where he earned an Army ROTC scholarship. Josh has also completed Harvard University’s Driving Government Performance: Leadership Strategies that Produce Results, a program for senior leaders. Josh and his wife feel blessed to raise their three children in Lancaster County.