Virginia 500 Spotlight: TODD ‘PARNEY’ PARNELL

FIRST JOB: Pumping gas at a Gulf gas station in high school

NEW LIFE EXPERIENCE: Eating good during baseball season

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Eating well while busy is not hard when prepared

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: Making such a wide-ranging impact on people in the Richmond region on a daily basis, 365 days a year

SOMETHING I’D NEVER DO AGAIN: A pandemic

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Flying Squirrels (duh), but I like the Pittsburgh Steelers

DID YOU KNOW? Parnell came to Richmond with the Squirrels in 2010 and became CEO in 2020, overseeing all day-to-day operations. In 2022, the team made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. In May, the city approved the $2.44 billion Diamond District redevelopment project, the centerpiece of which will be a 9,000-person capacity, $90 million new stadium for the Flying Squirrels, slated for completion in late 2025. Parnell makes more than 100 appearances a year for speaking engagements and charitable causes, and he serves on the boards of ChamberRVA and Richmond Region Tourism. He is also president of the Montgomery Biscuits, the Montgomery, Alabama-based Double-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.