By Gil Pound

P arrish Construction Group Partner and CFO Sara Murph (’11) calls accounting the language of business.

If that’s the case, the 2025 Georgia Trend 40 Under 40 honoree is more than fluent, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a CPA license prior to her earning an MBA from Georgia College & State University. 

Murph is putting that knowledge to good use with Parrish, one of Georgia’s largest construction managers. In her tenure as Chief Financial Officer, the company has seen annual revenue increase from $100 million to over $400 million and exponential growth from 65 team members to 175. 

Having found her calling in the world of accounting and finance, Murph gave students a way to consider their own strengths and career paths during her time as Georgia College Executive in Residence this week.

“I loved my accounting classes,” Murph said. “I think college is a great time to pay attention to the things that come naturally to you.  Those are often clues to where your strengths lie and where you may be able to have the greatest impact in the future.”

From bank teller to CFO

In her three day as Executive in Residence, Murph visited College of Business & Technology classrooms, answered students’ questions and shared her professional journey that began as a bank teller without a defined career roadmap.

After several years of advancing in banking, Murph began considering a move into the construction industry.  During the interview process with Parrish, she asked to review the company’s audited financial statements. Her analysis gave Parrish’s leadership a glimpse into the perspective she could bring to the role, and she was hired as Controller. One year later, Murph was promoted to CFO, a position she has held for a decade.

The promotion gave her a seat at the table as Parrish continued to grow and evolve. Building on its longstanding strength in K-12 construction, the company expanded into additional markets while significantly increasing its statewide presence. Today, Parrish works across education, industrial, healthcare, municipal and water resources construction, with projects in 91 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

“We’re Georgia grown,” Murph said. “We know the state, we understand its communities, and we’re proud of the relationships we’ve built across Georgia.”

Direct access to leaders

Georgia College’s Executive in Residence program provides students and faculty with multiple avenues to engage with leaders of Murph’s stature. In addition to speaking in classrooms, she served as the featured guest for the Executive Forum and sat on an open session panel moderated by senior Veronica Lively, president of the College of Business & Technology Dean’s Student Advisory Board.

“Talking with Sara Murph was both inspiring and reassuring,” said Lively, an economics major. “She was refreshingly honest about not having it all figured out at the beginning of her career. It also meant a lot to hear a leader talk about genuinely caring for her employees' well-being while still striving towards growth. As I work this year for the College of Business & Technology and prepare to step into my own career, it is encouraging to see that there are leaders employing these strategies successfully every day.” 

“What meant the most to me was having the opportunity to spend real time with students and faculty and have honest conversations about careers, leadership and growth,” Murph said. “I hope the students came away encouraged that they do not have to have every step figured out today, but they should pay attention to their strengths, be willing to say yes to opportunities and keep learning as their path unfolds.”

Header Images: Parrish Construction Group Partner and CFO Sara Murph speaking at an open panel and an accounting class. (Photos: Gil Pound)