Grande West Welcomes Keith Parker to Board of Directors
Grande West Transportation Group has announced the addition of Keith Parker to its Board of Directors.
Keith T. Parker is president and chief executive officer of Goodwill of North Georgia. One of the largest nonprofit organizations in the southeast, Goodwill spans a 45-county territory, operating 60 stores, 58 donation centres and 13 career centres and employs nearly 3,000 people. Parker took the helm at Goodwill of North Georgia in October 2017.
Prior to transitioning into his leadership role at Goodwill, Parker served as chief executive officer and general manager of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority until September 2017. In his tenure at MARTA, he and his team balanced the budget, improved efficiencies, increased bus and rail service, enhanced the customer experience, and restored pride among MARTA employees and staff. During his transit career prior to MARTA, he served as Chief Executive Officer and President of VIA Metropolitan Transit and Chief Executive Officer at the Charlotte Area Transit System.
Throughout his career Mr. Parker has received numerous awards and accolades for his work as an organizational leader and transportation visionary. He won Texas CEO of the Year Awards in 2011 and 2012. He was recognized as the nation’s Outstanding Public Transportation Manager by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2015. METRO Magazine named Mr. Parker as one of its 20 Most Influential People of the Decade.
Jean-Marc Landry, chief executive officer of Grande West stated, “It’s an honor and very exciting to have Mr. Parker join our board as we become much more active in the U.S. Keith brings a wealth of experience in transit to Grande West’s team.”
Parker commented, “I am thrilled to join Grande West, a company destined to disrupt the North American transit market. With an experienced team led by Jean-Marc Landry, I will offer my insight into exceeding the customer experience the U.S. market has come to expect. We don’t simply want to sell buses, we want to become partners in the communities we serve.”
A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Parker was appointed to the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors by Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2016. Parker received VCU’s Alumni Star Award in 2015.
Parker served on the board of directors for Goodwill of San Antonio and Goodwill of North Georgia. He remains active and engaged in civic and charitable organizations, including service on various national and local boards of directors — such as The Eno Center for Transportation and Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He holds an MBA from the University of Richmond, as well as a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a BA in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University.
