Roland Parrish

Roland is highly committed to giving back to the community, especially causes that support the education and welfare of youth.

Roland is currently the CEO of Parrish Restaurants, Ltd., which owns and operates 25 restaurants in Dallas and surrounding areas. The Dallas Business Journal awarded Roland its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. His company is the 7th Largest Minority Owned Firm in North Texas. Parrish Restaurants Ltd., consistently makes the Black Enterprise Magazine’s BE 100 as one of the Top 100 Black owned businesses in the United States.

Roland’s $2M Leadership Gift supported the renovation of the former Management School Library at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It was opened and renamed the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics in 2012. It’s the first facility at Purdue to be named after an African American. The library has received both National and International recognition.

Also, his gift of philanthropy, led to the building of the Rev. John and Marie Parrish Medical Clinic in Fort Portal, Uganda. The clinic, which opened in May 2016, serves 6,000 orphans per year and is named in memory of his parents.

Roland is at the end of an unprecedented 3rd term as Chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Owner Operators Association (NBMOA). He spear-headed the creation of the NBMOA Foundation, all while advocating for minority owned suppliers, vendors and franchise owners. The NBMOA is a 44-year self-help organization that boasts $3.6B in sales annually.

Roland received his BS and MBA from Purdue’s Krannert School of Business. As a scholar and athlete, he consistently made the Dean’s List, was a 2-time MVP of the Purdue track team and selected by his teammates to be Captain his senior year. While competing, he set school records in the 600, 800 and 1000M. He still holds the 1000M indoor record. This has resulted in Roland’s induction into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame and the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame.

At Purdue, he’s on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Krannert Business School and the Department of the Libraries. Parrish currently serves on the Advisory Boards for the Salvation Army and the NBA Dallas Mavericks.

Married to Jewel Parrish for 40 years, sons, Rowland (UNT-BA 2002), Wesley (CAI-BA 2013) and daughter Jade (Purdue BS 2012). Hobbies include running, biking, reading, playing musical instruments and collecting vintage automobiles.