Joel Parkinson

Disclaimer: While place descriptions and news events may coincide with the real world, all characters and the plot are fictional.
== Biography ==
=== Matthews Family Trust ===
==== Book 1: Stories We Tell ====
Joel Parkinson is Ryan's liaison with the Matthews Family Trust.
Tuesday June 2, 2020 - Ryan calls Joel Parkinson and asks if he can make a donation to PSU. Joel says there is no restrictions on what Ryan can spend; he has a lot of money just piling up, and he should let Joel reinvest it for him - perhaps in a separate account. Ryan tells Joel of EWN's desire to go to a 365-day broadcast, and that Alumni Affairs don't advertise with EWN. He asks if the Trust can anonymously offer Alumni Affairs $30k of matching funds for EWN to run an image campaign directed at current students. Joel is agreeable, and assures Ryan that permission is not required from the trust creators, and that there are sufficient funds available. Since turning 21, Ryan has more latitude over how the fund is managed. Joel offers to take a personal role in the proposal. He considers it a creative idea, and looks forward to seeing Ryan develop other ideas.
Ryan also asks Joel if he knows anything about Ryan's adoption, or about his birth family. He wonders if he had a younger brother, and how he can find out. Joel acknowledges he knows some things, but worries for Ryan's mental health. He'd always wondered how much Ryan remembered, and what would happen if he started to remember more. He gives Ryan the contact details for Dr Erica Clarke, a psychiatrist at OHSU, and asks him not to discuss this with his parents - it's way outside the boundaries for a financial advisor.
== Personality ==
Ryan Matthews likes and trusts Joel, he feels Joel is on his side.
Joel watches the EWN broadcast, and thinks they're doing good work.