The Grand Lodge Order of Elks recently presented Greg Parker, President and CEO of Parker’s, with the 2015-2016 Distinguished Citizenship Award. The award was presented at a special Elks banquet hosted by Savannah Lodge No. 183 in Savannah, Ga. on May 7, 2016.
The award recognized Parker for generous contributions to the Savannah community as well as leadership of various community organizations. He is the founder of the Fueling the Community program at Parker’s, which supports education and healthcare by donating a portion of the proceeds from every gallon of gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month.
This charitable initiative officially launched in the fall of 2011 and currently distributes more than $100,000 annually to public and private schools throughout Georgia and South Carolina. Parker’s also donated $1 million to Memorial Health to fund the expansion of the Parker’s Emergency and Trauma Center at Memorial, which serves as the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
Parker is currently leading a city-wide anti-litter campaign, serves as the chairman of the Mayor’s Business Roundtable and contributes to the Mayor’s Crime Task Force. Over the years, he has served on the board of directors for the Savannah Economic Development Authority, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority. He has also been the chairman of the Savannah Master Plan Task Force and served on the foundation board at Memorial University Health Center.
Parker is one of the convenience store industry’s most respected executives. Honored for his commitment to technology, innovation and giving back, he has been recognized as the Savannah Morning News Entrepreneur of the Year and Convenience Store News Tech Executive of the Year.
Under his leadership, Parker’s has grown from a one-store operation in Midway, Georgia to a 44-store company with state-of-the-art convenience stores located throughout coastal Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Parker’s has been ranked on Inc.’s elite list of the top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for four consecutive years and recently earned the Regional Economic Impact Award from the Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
Parker’s operates 44 convenience stores across the region and employs 625 individuals throughout Georgia and South Carolina. The company, which completes more than 100,000 transactions daily, is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary.
