There's a whole lot to like about Mr. Parker's background and accomplishments but my guess is the highlighted portion of his PR announcement below is what EDIG's BOD found most attractive:

Mr. Packer is the former CFO of Geometric Results Incorporated ("GRI"), a Ford Motor Company business and technology services subsidiary. During his eight-year tenure at GRI, revenue increased from $3 million per month to over $800 million per year. Russ previously spent five years as a financial executive with Coca-Cola, including work on the IPO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and ten years in investment banking with Shoreline Partners and Delphos Group. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from USC.

Best to all,

Wheels