The National Parking Association (NPA) has elected Alan B. Lazowski, chairman, CEO and founder of LAZ Parking, as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Lazowski takes office for two-year term, effective Sept. 19, 2016.
Alan Lazowski, Chairman, National Parking AssociationMoreOver the next two years, Lazowski and the board of directors will focus on the three pillars of NPA's strategic direction: education, research and advocacy to build strong parking communities in the private and public sector.
"It's vital that the parking industry meet the future of technology, transportation and talent in a changing global marketplace, said Lazowski. "To be successful parking professionals, managers and leaders need relevant tools and best practices. The launch of NPA University, The Parking Venture Forum and skill certificates all signal the Board's strategic commitment to parking education at all levels within the industry."
"Alan's leadership and entrepreneurship will continue to foster the strong knowledge networks that connect parking peers across sectors. His focus on the information imperative of NPA research and development of a strong advocacy platform, signal NPA's growth and focus on the thought leadership," said NPA President Christine Banning, MA, CAE
Lazowski co-founded LAZ Parking in 1981 while attending the University of Connecticut. Since then, LAZ Parking has grown into a national hospitality parking company with revenue in excess of $1 billion and more than 10,000 employees.
The son of Holocaust survivors, Lazowski believes that he has "an obligation to give back." He's a well-respected philanthropist, and has given his time and money to various charitable efforts. In 2009, he started the LAZ Parking Charitable Foundation. He is also the founding Chair of Voices of Hope, an organization that collects, categorizes and shares the experiences of Holocaust survivors for the benefit of future generations. He serves as a member of the United States Holocaust Museum Council appointed by President Obama.
Lazowski is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the Thomas and Bette Wolff Family Entrepreneurship Award from the University of Connecticut, the NAACP Civil Rights Award, the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award, the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hartford Business Journal. Lazowski has also received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Hartford.
In addition to serving as chairman of the NPA board, Lazowski also serves on the boards of the Goodwin College Foundation, the Bushnell Theater, the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation, the Hebrew Home and Hospital, the Anti-Defamation League, The Jordan Porco Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Hartford Economic Development Corporation and the Chabad House of Greater Hartford.