Parker’s Announces Two Strategic New Hires to Further Strengthen Internal Operations
SAVANNAH, Ga. (May 19, 2021) – Parker’s, a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that was named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, recently hired two new team members to strategically strengthen the company’s internal operations in light of continued expansion plans across coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
Award-winning training expert Kara S. Hardiman serves as the company’s new Director of Learning and Development, and acclaimed convenience store industry veteran Johnny Wood, Jr. is the new Controller.
“At Parker’s, we understand the importance of providing world-class training opportunities for our team members as well as conducting detailed financial audits to support operations,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “I’m delighted to welcome Kara and Johnny to the Parker’s family and know their experience and leadership skills will help us grow strategically as we expand the Parker’s corporate footprint.”
The latest Parker’s new hires include:
KARA S. HARDIMAN, Director of Learning and Development – A learning and operations excellence leader, Kara S. Hardiman joins Parker’s after serving as the Marketing Learning Lead for Marriott International, where she partnered with internal stakeholders to organize performance-based learning strategies for more than 90 hotels across five states. Hardiman brings more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry and previously served as the Director of Americas Learning for Marriott International’s Luxury Brands throughout the U.S. and Canada, Senior Manager of Americas Learning Delivery for Marriott International’s Premium Brands and Director of Room Operations at the Westin Charlotte in North Carolina. As the Director of Learning and Development at Parker’s, Hardiman optimizes team member performance through training initiatives, accountability practices and career coaching. A MBTI® Certified Practitioner, Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (DISC®) and Enterprise Certified Gallup® CliftonStrengths® Coach, Hardiman has earned four Manager of the Year titles for her exceptional leadership at hotels in Boston and Charlotte, N.C. Originally from Boston, she currently resides in Bluffton, S.C.
JOHNNY WOOD, JR., Controller – Johnny Wood, Jr., an experienced convenience store industry accountant and U.S. Army veteran, serves as Controller at Parker’s. In his new role, Wood manages the accounting team, oversees the monthly closing process, verifies financial data and directs the year-end financial audit process. Prior to joining Parker’s, Wood served as the Senior Accounting Supervisor and Fuel Analyst for 7-Eleven in Irving, Texas, where he successfully managed fuel inventory for all U.S. and Canada 7-Eleven locations. During his tenure in the U.S. Army, Wood served for four years at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska as a Stryker Unit Vehicle Commander. Originally from Covington, Ga., Wood earned a Bachelor of Business Accounting from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas and currently lives in Savannah, Ga.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown from a one-store operation in Midway, Ga. to an award-winning company with state-of-the-art convenience stores located throughout Georgia and South Carolina, serving delicious, award-winning Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food that’s made from scratch on-site. Parker’s was recently named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, which is the convenience store industry’s highest honor, and was voted one of America’s top 10 gas station brands by USA TODAY readers. The company also earned a 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, which is presented to the top 10% of restaurants across the United States.
Currently celebrating its 45th anniversary, Parker’s has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for five years and has been honored by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores, by The Shelby Report as the Southeast Retailer of the Year and by Convenience Store News as the Foodservice Leader of the Year. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 210,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.
{"Guyton":[{"id":"92","title":"Parker's #92","address":"4440 GA-17"},{"id":"30","title":"Parker's #30","address":"100 Central Blvd"}],"Bluffton":[{"id":"91","title":"Parker's #91","address":"5 Oliver Court"},{"id":"56","title":"Parkers #56","address":"8251 Pinellas Dr."},{"id":"43","title":"Parker's #43","address":"6200 Jennifer Court"},{"id":"38","title":"Parker's #38","address":"1286 Fording Island Rd"},{"id":"36","title":"Parker's #36","address":"2 Gateway Village"},{"id":"33","title":"Parker's #33","address":"469 Buckwalter Pkwy"},{"id":"32","title":"Parker's #32","address":"9227 Evan Way"}],"Johns Island":[{"id":"87","title":"Parker's Kitchen #87","address":"3749 Savannah Highway"}],"Savannah":[{"id":"88","title":"Parker's #88","address":"21 E Derenne Ave"},{"id":"82","title":"Parker's #82","address":"1932 Montgomery Cross Rd"},{"id":"78","title":"Parker's #78","address":"5906 Ogeechee Rd"},{"id":"64","title":"Parker's #64","address":"1601 Dean Forest Road"},{"id":"62","title":"Parker's #62","address":"2175 Benton Blvd."},{"id":"35","title":"Parker's #35","address":"5300 Skidaway Rd"},{"id":"29","title":"Parker's #29","address":"10525 Abercorn St"},{"id":"27","title":"Parker's #27","address":"1910 E President St"},{"id":"25","title":"Parker's #25","address":"3105 E Victory Dr"},{"id":"22","title":"Parker's #22","address":"325 ML King Jr Blvd"},{"id":"13","title":"Parker's #13","address":"2004 Beech St"},{"id":"21","title":"Parker's #21","address":"1976 E Victory Dr"},{"id":"19","title":"Parker's #19","address":"222 Drayton St"}],"Hilton Head Island":[{"id":"90","title":"Parker's #90","address":"430 William Hilton Pkwy"}],"Monck\u2019s Corner":[{"id":"81","title":"Parker's #81","address":"106 Foxbank Plantation Blvd"}],"Summerville":[{"id":"84","title":"Parker's #84","address":"3900 Ladson Rd."},{"id":"80","title":"Parker's #80","address":"1000 Linger Longer Dr"},{"id":"77","title":"Parker's #77","address":"1111 Cane Bay Blvd"},{"id":"71","title":"Parker's #71","address":"1601 Central Ave"}],"Pooler":[{"id":"1","title":"Parker's Spirits #1","address":"8 Godley Station Blvd."},{"id":"69","title":"Parker's #69","address":" 1275 Highway 80 East"},{"id":"68","title":"Parker's #68","address":"2111 Pooler Pkwy"},{"id":"37","title":"Parker's #37","address":"10 Godley Station Blvd"}],"N. Charleston":[{"id":"83","title":"Parker's #83","address":"8108 Windsor Hill Blvd."}],"Charleston":[{"id":"79","title":"Parker's #79","address":"1140 Sam Rittenberg Blvd"}],"Walterboro":[{"id":"73","title":"Parker's #73","address":"774 N Jefferies Blvd"}],"Monck's Corner":[{"id":"72","title":"Parker's #72","address":"1105 N HWY 52"},{"id":"70","title":"Parker's #70","address":"115 South Hwy 52"}],"Goose Creek":[{"id":"74","title":"Parker's #74","address":"538 Red Bank Road"}],"Port Royal":[{"id":"76","title":"Parker's #76","address":"1451 Ribaut Rd"},{"id":"48","title":"Parker's #48","address":"1705 Ribaut Road"}],"St Helena Island":[{"id":"67","title":"Parker's #67","address":"856 Sea Island Pkwy"}],"Beaufort":[{"id":"66","title":"Parker's #66","address":"133 Sams Point Rd"},{"id":"59","title":"Parker's #59","address":"3462 Trask Pkwy"},{"id":"58","title":"Parkers #58","address":"12 Savannah Hwy"}],"Glennville":[{"id":"65","title":"Parker's #65","address":"110 N. Veterans Blvd"}],"Jesup":[{"id":"63","title":"Parker's #63","address":"4501 Savannah Hwy"}],"Okatie":[{"id":"61","title":"Parker's #61","address":"6 Barrel Landing Rd."}],"Hinesville":[{"id":"60","title":"Parker's #60","address":"5890 W. Oglethorpe Hwy"},{"id":"28","title":"Parker's #28","address":"58 Old Sunbury Rd"},{"id":"17","title":"Parker's #17","address":"2475 Hwy 196 West"}],"Ridgeland":[{"id":"55","title":"Parker's #55","address":"7021 North Okatie Hwy"}],"Claxton":[{"id":"52","title":"Parker's #52","address":"3 N. Duval Street"}],"Statesboro":[{"id":"57","title":"Parker's #57","address":"12399 US 301"},{"id":"47","title":"Parker's #47","address":"1588 Brampton Ave"},{"id":"45","title":"Parker's #45","address":"11012 Highway 301 S"},{"id":"41","title":"Parker's #41","address":"24151 Hwy 80"}],"Hardeeville":[{"id":"54","title":"Parkers #54","address":"16319 Whyte Hardee Blvd"}],"Hilton Head":[{"id":"53","title":"Parkers #53","address":"165 William Hilton"}],"Vidalia":[{"id":"51","title":"Parker's #51","address":"105 Queen St."}],"Metter":[{"id":"49","title":"Parker's #49","address":"1118 S. Lewis St"},{"id":"44","title":"Parker's #44","address":"300 SW Broad St"}],"Lyons":[{"id":"46","title":"Parker's #46","address":"113 Oxley Drive"}],"Bloomingdale":[{"id":"42","title":"Parker's #42","address":"3050 Hwy 80"}],"Rincon":[{"id":"40","title":"Parker's #40","address":"6159 Hwy 21 South"}],"Garden City":[{"id":"39","title":"Parker's #39","address":"4219 Augusta Rd"}],"Springfield":[{"id":"34","title":"Parker's #34","address":"1435 Hwy 21 South"}],"Ellabell":[{"id":"31","title":"Parker's #31","address":"4480 Hwy 80"}],"Pt. Wentworth":[{"id":"16","title":"Parker's #16","address":"6000 Hwy 21"}],"Richmond Hill":[{"id":"26","title":"Parker's #26","address":"11416 Ford Ave"},{"id":"7","title":"Parker's #7","address":"7530 Hwy 17"}],"Ludowici":[{"id":"5","title":"Parker's #5","address":"4 West Cypress Street"}],"Midway":[{"id":"1","title":"Parker's #1","address":"13740 Oglethorpe Hwy"}]}
