SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Convenience-store retailer Parker’s has promoted Chief Operating Officer Jeff Bush to president, effective Jan. 1. Bush will assume the position from longtime President and CEO Greg Parker, who will continue as chairman and CEO of The Parker Cos.
Parker has been president and CEO since 1976.
“Now is the perfect time for Jeff to step into this leadership role, and I am confident that he will help us achieve new levels of success as we continue to expand our footprint throughout the region,” said Parker. “Jeff is a strong, smart, thoughtful leader who has distinguished himself over the past six years as a core member of the Parker’s leadership team.”
COO since January 2017, Bush oversees the daily operations of all 54 of the Savannah, Ga.-based chain’s c-stores in southeastern Georgia and South Carolina and focuses on personnel, fuels, pricing, supply and logistics.
- Parker's is No. 128 in CSP's 2018 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of company-owned retail outlets.
In 2012, the company named Bush director of fuel operations after he impressed Parker, who served as a guest speaker in an economics class at Armstrong State University in Savannah, now Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus, with his thoughtful questions.
He became director of operations in January 2016.
Bush, a presidential scholar and cum laude graduate, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Armstrong State University and was recently named to the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2018. Bush has also been honored as a Savannah Morning News’ GenerationNext Rising Star of Business.
Originally from Lewes, Del., Bush joined the U.S. Army as a forward observer at age of 19. He quickly rose to the rank of staff sergeant, earning the Combat Action Badge, Iraqi Campaign Medal and 14 other awards and medals. During his tenure in the Army, he was selected as the Fort Stewart Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year and received the Major General Aubrey Newman Award for Leadership Excellence.
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