Lisa Renshaw
Lisa Renshaw
President
Office: (410) 782-9110
Fax: (410) 782-9110
Email: lisar@pennparking.com
In 1983 at the age of 21, Penn Parking's president, Lisa Renshaw, took over her first property, a failing parking garage just north of Amtrak's Penn Station in Baltimore, Maryland. Unable to afford employees but needing an attendant 24 hours a day, Lisa moved into the garage, using a carpet remnant for a bed and a kerosene heater for warmth. For Lisa, parking, washing and waxing cars was the easy part. The challenge was combating rodents and shoveling snow at 4:30 A.M. so that her customers could enter the garage. After three and a half years of determination and spirit, Penn Parking took over its second location. Lisa moved out of the 10 X 10 room that had become her home.
Since its’ humble roots, Penn Parking has established a reputation as an innovator in the otherwise staid world of parking operations. Lisa’s history includes many examples of being willing to take a chance on a marginal or failing facility and through careful oversight, has succeeded in the reverse of declining revenues and volume time and time again. Her management approach has earned the respect of the nation's business community. Lisa has received considerable attention in the national and local media for the company's creativity, innovative marketing strategies, employees’ appreciation award programs and quality revenue control. Profiles have appeared in Reader's Digest, Inc., Success, the Baltimore Sun, Warfield's, the Washington Times and Good Housekeeping, to name only a few. Penn Parking, Inc. is one of only a handful of women owned and operated parking companies nationwide.
Lisa’s passion to be the best parking operator is exemplified by her dedication and leadership toward Penn Parking on a daily basis. It is commonplace for Lisa to work on the front lines, listen to line employees for ideas to better their specific work station or environment, improve operations, and answer field management questions by example. Having worked the “front lines” for more than 25 years enables Lisa to better understand employee and customer relations and never lose sight of what is important. Lisa’s hands on approach enable her to set protocols for hiring, employee relations, client relations as well as customer relations.
However, Lisa’s greatest attribute may be the ability to initiate ideas and procedures prior to them becoming main stream in the parking industry. An example of this is when she established the first ever “Frequent Parker Miles” program for airport parking teaming with TWA Airlines. Lisa was also recognized as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's, Marketer of the Year. An award she received for her ingenuity in reaching out to the public and promoting Metro's rail system. Other initiatives include but are not limited to, customer newsletters and segway use.
Never losing sight of increased revenues, a clean parking facility and client satisfaction, Lisa’s energies recently are devoted to promoting corporate responsibility pertaining to the environment.