Maxie L. Parks was born in Lee County, Arkansas. At the age of 10 years, he and his family moved to Fresno, where Mr. Parks attended West Fresno Elementary and Jr. High schools. It was at this time that he began to formally embrace his love for track and field and other sports. Mr. Parks is a 1970 graduate from Washington Union High School. While at Washington Union he participated in football, wrestling and track and field. Mr. Parks was All American twice while in high school and league champion in wrestling. His skills as a student-athlete propelled him to pursue higher education at Fresno City College followed by the University of California, Los Angeles. Mr. Parks is Chairman of the Board for the West Fresno Resource Center where in 2017, the community center was renamed in his honor. Today, the community center is a hub for youth through programs and services that have been implemented to improve outcomes for students and families in the community.