| Jeffrey A. Parker | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1957 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Alma mater | Jacksonville State University |
| Occupation | CEO of Sarrell Dental, Executive in Residence at Jacksonville State University |
Jeffrey A. "Jeff" Parker (born July 17, 1957) is a non-profit CEO and education philanthropist. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Sarrell Dental & Eye Centers and serves on the board of Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Alabama.
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Jeffrey Parker was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to William and Patricia Parker. He graduated from Sycamore High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1975. His father, William, was a division president for Kroger Foods. In 1980, he received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Jacksonville State University (JSU). In 1981, he received his Masters in Public Administration. In addition to his studies at JSU, he earned an additional 18 graduate hours in Marketing from Mercer University in Georgia.
After graduation, Parker worked in management in the processed foods industry for General Foods Corporation, Schering-Plough, and Con-Agra. He then worked in Executive Management positions at Sara Lee, Foster Farms and Crider Foods. In 1997, at the age of 40, he retired.[1]
In 2000, he accepted a position as Executive in Residence at Jacksonville State University’s College of Commerce and Business Administration (A position he still holds today). [2]
In 2005, Parker was asked to take over a small community dental center run by The Calhoun County Community Foundation. Upon Parker’s arrival as CEO, the clinic separated from the foundation and was named after its founder, Dr. Warren Sarrell, as “Sarrell Regional Dental Centers for Public Health”.[3] As CEO, Parker oversaw the clinic’s growth from serving a few thousand children in its first year to treating 79,000 patient visits in 2010. By July 2011, Sarrell operated 12 dental clinics and a mobile dental bus, employing 52 dentists and 27 hygienists.[4]
In addition to two sisters, Parker has one brother, William Douglas Parker, who is the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the US Airways Group.
In 1995, Parker established the Jeffrey A. Parker Scholarship at Jacksonville State University. This scholarship provides college tuition and selection is based on academic merit, university involvement, and financial need.[5] To qualify, candidates must hold senior status in the JSU College of Business. As of September 2011, more than 65 students had received financial aid from the fund.