Nationally Recognized Thought-Leader on Black Male Achievement to Bring
Diversity Expertise to the Brand
TAMPA, Fla. – Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., the parent company of Checkers & Rally’s iconic drive-thru restaurants, today announced that Neil Phillips, a nationally recognized thought leader on black male achievement, minority education, character development and youth empowerment, will join the quick service company’s Board of Directors.
“We are a brand of hardworking people dedicated to serving our hardworking guests, and we believe in providing opportunity to our teams while we support our communities,” said Frances Allen, President and CEO of Checkers & Rally’s. “Neil’s outstanding work as an educator, entrepreneur, coach and youth advocate over the last 25 years gives him a valuable perspective on many of the communities we serve, and we look forward to working with him to advance our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”
Mr. Phillips is the Co-Founder and CEO of Visible Men Academy and Founder of Visible Men Impact Network. Some of his past posts include: Assistant Headmaster at the Landon School for Boys in Bethesda, Md., and the Interim Head of Upper School at the Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Fla. He also served on the Board of Directors for Washington Jesuit Academy in Northeast Washington, D.C., and the United Way of Manatee County in Florida. Mr. Phillips is an accomplished public speaker who has presented at the Aspen Institute, The Nantucket Project, Soros Foundation, NASA, and the National Association of Independent Schools, among other prestigious institutions. Mr. Phillips is a graduate of Harvard University who began his career as a professional basketball player in Australia.
“I am looking forward to working with Checkers & Rally’s leadership team and Board of Directors to find meaningful ways to support their diverse franchisee, employee, and consumer base across the country,” said Mr. Phillips. “This is a leadership team committed to growing and supporting their people at every level of the operation, and they are dedicated to improving the communities they serve.”
About Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.
Based in Tampa, Fla., Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., an iconic and innovative drive-thru restaurant chain known for its “Crazy Good Food,” exceptional value, and people-first attitude, operates and franchises both Checkers® and Rally’s® restaurants. With nearly 900 restaurants and room to grow, Checkers & Rally’s is a proven brand with flexible building formats that is aggressively expanding across the country. Checkers & Rally’s is dedicated to being a place where franchisees and employees who work hard can create opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities. In recent years, the brand has earned several of the industry’s most prestigious awards including: “#1 Most Craveable Fries” by Restaurant Business; Best Franchise Deal and “Best Drive-Thru in America” by QSR Magazine; Top Food and Beverage Franchise by Franchise Business Review; the “Hot! Again” award from Nation’s Restaurant News and has consistently been ranked on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500.