J. Parks Atkinson, principal of Nicaraguan Boat Builders, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been around water and boats all his life starting what was to become a boat-building career by working on surf boards. That was in the late 60s and early 70s when short surfboards came into vogue. Parks and his brother Frank cut down their long boards and refinished them and then did the same for all their friends. Soon they were building boards for sale from scratch.

He is now owner of Parks Atkinson’s Boat Restorers, started 10 years ago, a business in which he purchases boats and restores them for resale. He also restores boats for others - building fish boxes, replacing transoms and decks, and installing hardware.

Collection of Parks' restorations

Parks also is a USCG Licensed captain and holds a Masters License up to l00-ton. He is a launch operator for harbor pilots, a post he has held for eight years.

Among his community activities:

• Past president of the CCA (Coastal Conservation Association), North Virginia Beach
• Past president of the Virginia Beach Chapter of Ducks Unlimited
• Volunteer on the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad

In his business, he has custom built Carolina sportfishing boats and restored boats from different manufacturers such as Sea Craft, Topaz, Black Fin, Bertram and Regulator as well as a classic 1969 Boston Whaler Montauk for his wife.

Parks is an avid surfer, fisherman, and duck hunter.

Among his other business interests were developing family property into townhouses in Virginia Beach, real estate sales and operating his own auto dealerships.