Five LAZ Managers With Decades of Combined Industry Experience Promoted To Leadership Roles
Hartford, CT – A seasoned parking professional who got his start as a part-time valet car-parker in college, has been promoted to the position of President for the West Region, Alan Lazowski, Founder and CEO of LAZ Parking, announced today. John Svendblad assumed his new role January 1 and is responsible for LAZ Parking operations and development in the Greater Los Angeles, Northern California and Northwest region which, in addition to California, includes the states of Washington, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Svendblad will oversee four other senior level managers promoted to new roles, which also went into effect Jan. 1. They are: Jared Svendsen, Senior Vice President, Southwest Region; Cindy Hefner, Regional Vice President, Northern California; Stephane Adovelande, Regional Vice President, South Texas; and Mark Fitzgerald, Regional Vice President, San Diego.
“I am incredibly proud of each of these individuals whose work ethic, commitment, and mission-driven performance have earned them respect within the company and across the parking industry,” Lazowski said. “All of them personify the core values at the heart of our corporate mission, The LAZ Way. Without their efforts, LAZ would not be the strong, growing company it is today.”
Svendblad started working in the parking business to earn a little extra money while going to college in Boston and quickly demonstrated the intelligence, talent, and positive attitude that have defined his 26 year career. He ambitiously took on ownership and management roles at the company he worked for in college, before merging its successful operations with LAZ Parking in 2008. In his previous role of Senior Regional Vice President at LAZ, Svendblad led efforts to establish and grow LAZ Parking’s presence in the Los Angeles market. As President, he will manage financial performance, lead new business initiatives, create and nurture client relationships, and directs tactical measures to ensure alignment with corporate strategic plans. Svendblad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Suffolk University and is active with industry organizations, including as a member of BOMA/GLA’s Board of Directors.
Svendsen’s career in the parking industry also began while he was in college, when he worked as a valet attendant while attending San Diego State University. After graduating, he worked briefly at a national real estate trust but, soon after, returned to LAZ and put his newly-acquired experience in property management to use. Over the course of his 25 years at LAZ, Svendsen has worked at all levels of management and been involved in planning, implementation, and management of the region’s largest operations, supporting the development and growth of markets in Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii.
Cindy Hefner is one of three new Regional Vice Presidents bringing decades of industry experience to her role. Hefner joined LAZ Parking in 2014 as a Business Development and Proposal Manager with the company’s Airport Service Line. She was promoted to Director of Operation for Northern California in 2015, and moved to the Bay Area from San Antonio, Texas. Hefner is an accomplished operations executive with a strong track record of successfully growing sales and revenues, improving customer service, and aggressively controlling expenses in competitive market environments. Prior to her promotion, Hefner was a General Manager for Northern California. She is also active within the LAZ family, where she has participated as a member of the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and is a current leader of the company’s Amplify committee, an internal organization dedicated to amplifying women’s voices within LAZ and the parking industry.
Stephane Adovelande, the new Regional Vice President for South Texas, came to LAZ in 2011as a Project Manager for the Hyatt Regency Chicago, the largest hotel in Chicago and the largest Hyatt property in the world. He subsequently served as a General Manager in Chicago for three years, before transferring to Austin, Texas in 2019 where he served as City General Manager and was instrumental in growing and diversifying LAZ’s portfolio of locations in the market. He has over 16 years’ experience managing complex operations such as hotels, mixed-use, Commercial Class-A, and large event venues. Adovelande is a member of the company’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, and is passionate about advancing minority leaders within the organization. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago and is working toward a Master’s degree in Technology Commercialization from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
Mark Fitzgerald, the new Regional Vice President for San Diego, has been with LAZ for 21 years and, like his two colleagues, got his start as a valet attendant. Over the course of his career, he has worked in multiple service lines and assumed jobs of increasing responsibility, most recently as a General Manager. Fitzgerald’s thoughtful approach to operations has fostered tremendous growth in the region and his “servant-leadership” mindset has supported the development of a highly effective team that has created dozens of opportunities in the market. Fitzgerald has earned a reputation for consistently making financial improvements, implementing creative solutions, and achieving results. He holds a degree in marketing from San Diego State University.
“Congratulations to all!,” said Lazowski. “The LAZ family is fortunate to have you as company leaders. We are excited to see what you’ll accomplish in your new roles.”
About LAZ Parking
LAZ Parking is the largest, fastest-growing privately owned parking operator in the United States and a pioneer in digital parking technology. Founded in Hartford, CT, LAZ has been providing best-in-class parking management and transportation services since 1981 and operates over 1.4 million parking spaces in over 3,604 locations in 40 states and 452 cities in the U.S. LAZ is an industry leader in business intelligence, remote monitoring, eCommerce solutions, and Proximity On-Demand Services or “LAZ PODS”. We leverage our national network of parking facilities to offer cutting edge, tech-enabled solutions, that include EV charging, micro warehousing, last-mile logistics, and ghost kitchens, working across the hospitality, commercial, healthcare, airports, transportation, universities, government, retail, events, residential, and shuttle service industries. LAZ is a people first, conscious capitalist company, committed to elevating humanity through business. Additional information can be found at www.lazparking.com.