BS Political Science '94
At the age of 22, while many are just beginning to consider their future, Jason Accardi was well on his way to securing his own. As a student at Florida State University, Accardi started a parking service to help pay his way through school. Upon graduation, Accardi realized he controlled a business he could build a career on and Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises began.
Since then, the small company he founded, with his twin brother and a friend, has flourished into a dynamic business with a national presence and more than 2,500 employees.
The principal reason for Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises' success? Devotion to a job well done. Accardi understood early on that good employees make for great customer service and ultimately, satisfied clients. So he developed training programs that are still considered industry benchmarks.
He set high standards for every single employee from his corporate office to the valet stand, and found that with the right encouragement, they didn't just meet his standards, but reached even higher levels of achievement.
Accardi is on the board of directors of the National Parking Association, and has served as the co-chairman of the Central Florida Chapter of the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS). He is also a member of the International Parking Institute (IPI) and an elite member of the National Valet Parking Association.
As President & CEO, Accardi continues his involvement in the day-to-day operations of the business. He devotes his full attention to wherever the company needs him most, right down to the smallest details. Although he's at the helm of one of the parking industry's leading companies, Accardi has never forgotten the lessons he learned when he started in Tallahassee all those years ago - hard work brings the greatest rewards.
