VALDOSTA — With only a high school diploma, his faith in God, the guidance from his pastor and a quest for excellence, Chad Pigford has not only climbed the ladder of success at Pepsi Beverages Company, but has been recognized globally as well by the parent company, PepsiCo.

Pigford, 37, captured the prestigious Ring of Honor Award, the highest frontline recognition that can be awarded to any PepsiCo employee. Only 226 individuals from 47 different countries were recognized, from which only 23 were from the Pepsi Beverages Company.

“Less than 1 percent of our global sales force wins this award,” said Gary Prine, Pigford’s boss and unit sales manager for Valdosta and Bainbridge, Pepsi Beverages Company.

Prine described Pigford as “very sharp, hard-working, dedicated, articulate, a people person, awesome coach (for the workforce), great leader.”

Pointing to a credenza in Pigford’s office completely covered in awards, Prine said, “You can look at the awards he has received over the years and tell what kind of capabilities he has.”

Pigford came to Valdosta from his native Perry, Fla., in 1993, to work at Food Max here, armed only with a diploma from Taylor County High. When Piggly Wiggly shut down, he successfully interviewed for a job at Pepsi Beverages Company as a relief driver. It was only two months before he had his own route and eventually was given four different routes.

“When he came to us, he was like a sponge — he wanted to soak up everything he could learn,” Prine said. “He quickly rose among his peers as a leader and was offered his first management opportunity in May 2002.”

Pigford accepted the position as small format territory sales manager with a territory of seven routes. Two years later, he was promoted to his current position of large format territory sales manager covering 10 counties outside of Valdosta with 16 employees and managing a caseload of 1.5 million cases a year.

“... he has become one of the most respected and awarded territory sales managers in the company,” Prine said.

“Only 23 employees of Pepsi Beverages Company received the (Ring of Honor) award out of over 300,000.”

The honor included an all-expense-paid trip to New York where Pigford and his wife, Stacey, were treated with high prominence. During the awards ceremony on June 10 at PepsiCo’s headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., Pigford sat at the table with Pepsi Beverages Company Chief Executive Officer Eric Foss. He was given a distinctive plaque among other rewards.

Prine said Pigford is highly recruited.

“... we are very lucky to have a person of (Pigford’s) caliber,” he said. “He’s been offered several promotions, but has chosen to stay in Valdosta where he loves the community, his family and friends and church.”

Pigford works in the community as a volunteer at Southside Recreation Center, helping to feed the community at Thanksgiving and Christmas through a project called Community Harvest Day. Through Pepsi, he helps in the beautification of the corner of Forrest and Ricardo in the City of Valdosta’s Adopt-A-Spot Program.

“Everything I do in the community I try to tie back to the company because they are so gracious with matching funds (through the PBC Gives Back Program),” he said.

Pigford’s family includes his wife of 14 years, the former Stacey Perkins of Statesboro, and their two children, Joshua, 12, a seventh grader at Valdosta Middle School, and Jakayla, 9, a fifth grader at W.G. Nunn Elementary School. Pigford and Stacey met while they were both working at Piggly Wiggly and she was attending Valdosta State University.

Although he loves his family and community, Pigford said it is his church, Oracles of Deliverance pastored by the Rev. Marilyn Thomas, which keeps him in Valdosta.

“I personally believe God wants me to stay in Valdosta as part of the pastor’s ministry and be a help to her,” said Pigford, who has been a deacon there 10 years.

Thomas said he “truly deserves” the Ring of Honor Award.

“He is an humble man and faithful servant of God,” she said. “He worked very hard ... The Lord is taking ordinary people and making them extraordinary ... The community can benefit from (Pigford’s) experience ...”

Pigford credits his success to “his faith in God, the leadership and guidance from my beloved pastor, the Rev. Marilyn Thomas, and a quest for excellence.”

“Her faithful and sincere leadership in the ministry has been the source of my success of being a great leader on my job, in my community and amongst my peers,” Pigford said. “Through her counsel and words of wisdom, she taught me what it takes to be a true man of God and a man worthy of honor. ...”

There was a time when Pigford felt very discouraged about his job and wanted to quit. He sought the counsel of his pastor.

“She encouraged me not to quit and assured me that God had something great in store for me,” he said. “In three months time, I was promoted and became the first ever African-American territory sales manager for the South Georgia Region. ... On another occasion when I needed wisdom on how to handle matters on my job, she advised me to call her every morning prior to going to work so we could pray together.”

This was a daily routine they maintained for more than two consecutive years, he said.

Despite all the awards he has won, Pigford is humble and can be seen every Saturday maintaining the grounds or doing whatever is needed at both the pastor’s house and the church.   “... I believe this is my supreme obligation to help beautify the place where I worship and serve,” he said.

Pigford also lends his financial support to the ministry of his church.

“... each time I receive a bonus on my job, I freely sacrifice it to the Lord and (the pastor) to support her very powerful ministry,” he said. “I have been receiving these bonuses since 2002, and for eight consecutive years I have donated it without reservation. ...

“One of the many lessons of leadership the pastor has taught me is to surround myself with people who have the same passion and drive for the business as I do. Therefore, I am very grateful for the employees (who) are part of my team. She has encouraged me down through the years to do the very best I can to help my boss, and by doing so, I will be helping myself. I believe it is through this wisdom she has given me that has allowed me to yield the successful business results I have down through the years. I am very humbled to be part of such a profound ministry that has developed me into the leader worthy of this award.”