Eric Devlin is the owner and president of Premier Transportation Services ,which he founded in 1996 with two vehicles and three employees. Today, the company has more than 65 vehicles, 80 employees, many loyal corporate clients, and the Premier Global Network to serve its clients worldwide.
Premier, which is both a nationally and locally award-winning company (having won the National Operator of the Year Award in both 2009 and 2011), provides corporate ground transportation utilizing town cars, limousines, executive vans, and mini and party buses. It also assists many of its personal and leisure clients with their local and worldwide family travel needs.
“I’m very proud of everyone on my staff and our great chauffeurs,” Mr. Devlin says, “because they – together with our loyal clients -- are the reason Premier Transportation has twice won the National Operator of the Year, been named the 2010 and 2011 Best Transportation Provider Award from the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners, and the 2012 Readers' Choice Award.
Saying emphatically that he does “not like Jayhawks,” Mr. Devlin was born in Lawrence, Kansas, but “quickly and thankfully moved to Columbia, Missouri. GO TIGERS!”
A graduate of Baylor University in 1989 with a BA in Marketing/Management, Mr. Devlin began his career as an auto underwriter with State Farm Insurance Company in Columbia, Missouri.
In 1996, he and his wife moved back to Dallas. In a recent newspaper article, Mr. Devlin explained, “I quickly learned that you DO NOT take a Texan out of Texas.” When the reporter asked about his proudest moment, he answered, “Other than my marriage and the birth of my kids, it was being selected as the NorthStar Award Recipient for Entrepreneurism and Philanthropy.”
In the past, he has served as an active member of the Interfaith Housing Coalition (IHC)
board of directors (2004 – 2010), and is a devoted advocate of the organization, which serves homeless families with children. Under his leadership, renovation was completed of the Beltzer Hope Community Center for resident services, job search, case management, children and teen activities and community outreach programs.
Mr. Devlin also founded the annual Cardinal Capital Home and Hope Golf Classic which raised more than $240,000 for Interfaith Housing in three years. Linda Hall, Executive Director for IHC, said, “Eric Devlin is the type of board member that executive directors dream about.
“He is committed, talented, ethical, and passionate about our mission of effectively moving homeless families to self sufficiency. Eric is a leader who steps in to solve problems with a ‘can do’ attitude of service.”
Mr. and Mrs. Devlin, who have been married nearly 20 years, have two teenage children. Mr. Devlin enjoys golf, coaching his children's sports teams, cheering on his favorite Missouri Tigers and Baylor Bears, and spending time at his family ranch in the Texas Hill Country. He is also an active member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church and volunteers in various capacities with his son’s Boy Scout troop and his children's school.