Focusing on People and Process with Donnie Parris, Vice President of Human Resources

Donnie Parris grew up in Augusta, Georgia, with his tight-knit family, known within the community for their kindness and open-door policy. Donnie, the youngest of four children, attended Sunday church with his parents and siblings weekly, followed by a meal at the local Red Lobster. The tradition continued for many years, and Donnie eventually took his first job at the restaurant when he was fifteen. He worked at a national seafood franchise restaurant through high school and returned to work summers while earning his degree at Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, Mississippi.

As graduation grew closer, he was offered the opportunity to attend the restaurant franchise's corporate manager-in-training program in Orlando, Florida. He accepted, and upon completing the program, he was offered a service manager role at a location in Mississippi. While working full-time, he enrolled at Mississippi College and began working toward his Master of Business Administration.

While in graduate school, Donnie was offered a permanent leadership position at the restaurant's corporate level. While he appreciated the supportive nature of his company and the growth he had made during his tenure, Donnie wasn't sure he wanted to remain in the restaurant industry forever. After graduation, he moved home to Augusta and began working as a consultant, primarily assisting with training, process documentation, and human resources. During this time, he also reunited with his high school sweetheart and future wife.

With a fresh mindset and his new bride by his side, Donnie moved to Columbia, South Carolina, to embark on a new role at a fast-growing, upscale American cuisine spot near The University of South Carolina (USC) campus. With all of his experience in training and employee relations within the industry, Donnie was a natural fit. One evening, an executive at a well-known multinational technology corporation noticed Donnie while working his shift at the restaurant. She called Donnie over and asked if he had a few moments to chat.

A New Industry Enters the Chat

The executive shared that she had been observing Donnie and his leadership style with his team. After asking a few questions about the technology Donnie used, she asked if he would be interested in working for her company. Intrigued but a little confused, Donnie explained that while he had many years of employee training experience, he didn't have a background in technology. She assured Donnie that the company could educate him on the technology and was looking for individuals with his interpersonal skills to train their teammates and improve the in-store customer support experience in their retail stores. He accepted the position.

After completing his training, Donnie began his role at the company, training the on-site customer support team. "In those early days, I applied the lessons I had learned through my years in hospitality," says Donnie, "I taught my team to show empathy and bond with our guests. We need to triage their device but prioritize making them feel heard." He was involved in the opening of several stores for the technology company during this time in his career and was offered the opportunity to relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina, to help open retail sites on a larger scale. This is where Donnie met Sonic Automotive's current Vice President of Traffic Management, Jen Mullin. At the time, Jen worked for the technology company, assisting with their efforts to open new locations. Donnie helped Jen learn the technology, and he learned a lot about the world of retail and best practices from her. During this time, Jen met with Sonic Automotive leaders who requested training on the technology company's products. When offered the opportunity to join the Sonic team full-time, Jen considered the opportunity for growth and took the job.

Donnie Joins Sonic Automotive

In the fall of 2014, EchoPark Automotive opened its doors with a fresh and thoughtful guest-first mentality. Personal tablets were to be a staple for the company. Jen knew Donnie would be a perfect fit for the training team and contacted him about an opportunity with the company.  After much consideration, he accepted the role and joined the Sonic Automotive training team in February 2015.

Within his first year at the company, Donnie trained Sonic Automotive teammates on the One Sonic One Experience sales process. Within one year, he was promoted to join the EchoPark Automotive team to support the company's executive team and training efforts. For a year, he flew to Colorado weekly to train EchoPark teammates on sales processes and how to open locations. As EchoPark Automotive was growing, Donnie had an opportunity to step in and take on more responsibility.

The Road to Vice President of Human Resources

In 2016, Donnie began taking on more human resources responsibilities and helped assist the teammates who joined the company through the acquisition of several dealerships. By this point, he had ample training, expansion, and human resources experience and could clearly define his next professional aspiration as a training director. He waited patiently and continued assisting his team and leaders until the opportunity arose, and he was promoted to training director.

Within three years, Donnie's contributions made him a stand-out candidate for the role of Human Resources Director at EchoPark Automotive, a subsidiary of Sonic Automotive. With his experience working with our company's recruiting, training, and acquisition teams, Donnie was well-versed and ready for the new responsibilities. He excitedly accepted the position.

In March 2025, Donnie was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources for Sonic Automotive, EchoPark Automotive, and Sonic Powersports. After a decade of commitment to the company's human resource systems and teammate engagement plans, this new role will expand his responsibilities to oversee all field human resource functions.

The Three A's

Donnie operates under what he calls The Three A's, which are defined as Awareness, Availability, and Accountability. He strives to be aware of the company's status and main focuses at any given time. He commits to being available to fill voids and keeping his skills sharp. He keeps himself accountable for being who he promised the company he would be as a teammate and a leader. "If I dedicate myself to this philosophy, I am able to do my job effectively," says Donnie, "I love explaining to people that they don't need to get caught up in going fast. If you take a moment to consider how you embody The Three A's, you are being efficient, and you will go further as a team. You can slow down in the short term to go fast in the long term."

An Intricate Quilt

When asked why he remains committed to Sonic Automotive, Donnie shares, "We get up and go. I believe we have disrupted the industry in the best way possible. We have the smarts and the appetite to do what no one else is willing to do, and we can prove it because we're the leading dealer group in guest satisfaction." He adds, "Sonic is like a big, delicate quilt, with each teammate responsible for the various patches of the blanket. You must be careful when you pull on the strings because everyone is linked and, therefore, affected. This knowledge makes us wise in our decision-making and brings incredible and lasting results."

Regarding the future, Donnie says, "There's never a dull moment, and there's always something new coming. I'm excited about helping our company find the right people to move us forward at the right pace. I appreciate how forward-thinking we are as an organization. Sonicians just get it."