Biography

Ruth Beaman's career in parking began with a phone call.

A headhunter called and said: I know you love a puzzle. There's a parking company about to lose a client, and I think you could be their hero. When Ruth pushed back — I am not sitting in a booth collecting money — the headhunter smiled and said: that's not what this is. Intrigued, she took the job, relocated to Houston, and within thirty days, the client was saved.

That success opened the door to Central Parking System — one of the largest parking companies in the country — where Ruth spent years running auditing and financial controls across the organization. She saw firsthand how much of the back office was still held together by spreadsheets, manual processes, and guesswork.

So in 2001, at age 55, she co-founded IntegraPark — building the back-office automation this industry desperately needed. The software ultimately ran in nearly 6,000 locations across the United States and Canada, delivering a 75% reduction in accounting processes at the click of a button.

But ask Ruth what she is most proud of, and she will tell you: Women in Parking. Founded in 2011. Self-funded for twelve years. Built from scratch because she remembered what it felt like to be one of only four or five women in this industry who weren't in a support role.

She showed this industry that parking could be a career — not just a job — and that it belonged to everyone willing to do the work.

Please welcome Ruth Beaman to the Parking Hall of Fame.