RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 10, 2026--
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America announced today, that it has appointed Cynthia Jamison as an independent director to the Board of Directors.
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“Cynthia brings a wealth of Board and executive leadership experience within the retail and consumer products sectors, making her an invaluable addition to the Advance Board,” said Gene Lee, chair of the board. “On behalf of the entire board of directors, I am pleased to welcome her, and we look forward to her contributions.”
“The Advance team is committed to implementing initiatives grounded in retail fundamentals to enhance both operational and financial performance,” said Shane O’Kelly, president, and chief executive officer. “Cynthia's deep understanding of retail operations, coupled with her expertise in leadership development and governance, will play a key role in driving long-term value for our shareholders.”
“Advance operates in a healthy and growing industry, with the team consistently making strides in establishing a strong foundation for sustainable growth,” said Cynthia Jamison, independent director. “I look forward to working with the board to support the team’s efforts in driving further progress on the strategic plan.”
Ms. Jamison most recently served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of AquaSpy, Inc. from 2010 through 2013. Prior to AquaSpy she served as a Partner with Tatum, LLC, from 1999 - 2009 where she served as CFO or COO of several public and private entities across multiple industries. She also led the CFO Practice at Tatum for four years where she had responsibility for over 300 CFO Partners. Prior to joining Tatum, she held various C Suite and executive positions at Chart House Enterprises, Allied Domecq Retailing USA, Kraft General Foods, and Arthur Andersen.
Ms. Jamison has served on the Board of Directors of Darden Restaurants, Inc. since 2014 and was appointed as the Chair of the Board in 2023. She also serves on the Board of Directors, including as Chair of the Audit Committee of International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc., and is a trustee on the Board of Save The Children. She has previously served as Chair of the Boards of Directors of Tractor Supply Company and Big Lots, Inc. and as a member of the Board of Directors of Office Depot, Inc., B&G Foods, Cellu Tissue Holdings, Inc., and Horizon Organic Holdings Corp.
About Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. As of January 3, 2026, Advance operated 4,305 stores primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Company also served 809 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.
Cynthia Jamison has been appointed as an independent director to Advance Auto Parts' Board of Directors.
NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI said it found explosive residue in a Pennsylvania storage unit as part of an investigation into two men charged with bringing homemade bombs to a protest outside the home of New York City’s mayor.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, told police after their arrests Saturday that they were inspired by the Islamic State group, according to law enforcement officials and a criminal complaint.
The men live in the Philadelphia suburbs and traveled together to New York City to carry out the attack near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, officials said. In response to police questioning, Balat said he hoped to accomplishing something “even bigger” than the Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three people, the complaint said.
Overnight Monday, FBI bomb technicians conducted controlled detonations of the explosive residue found at a public storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, near where Balat’s family lives, the agency said.
The explosion resulted in “several loud bangs,” the Middletown Township Police Department said Tuesday, adding that there was no threat to residents. The FBI said Monday that it had conducted multiple searches in connection with the investigation.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday called the attack "absolutely despicable" and said government investigators and prosecutors won’t rest until the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Much remains unknown about the motives, planning and relationship between Balat and Kayumi.
Court documents show Emir Balat’s father, Selahattin Balat, is a native of Turkey who was granted asylum in the United States in 1998 and later became a U.S. citizen. In a 2009 bankruptcy filing, he listed his occupation as painter and said he had three children.
Emir Balat is a senior at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne. A school spokesperson said he enrolled in a virtual program in September and had not attended in-person classes since.
His lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, said his client had “complicated stuff going on” in his personal life, without elaborating. Essmidi said he did not believe the two young men had known each other for long.
Kayumi is from Newtown, about 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) north of Langhorne. He graduated in 2024 from Council Rock High School North, according to a school spokesperson.
His attorney did not speak to reporters following a court hearing Monday and declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.
Prosecutors, police and FBI officials say Balat and Kayumi drove to New York City on Saturday and joined a throng of counterprotesters at a small, anti-Muslim rally organized by the far-right Christian nationalist Jake Lang.
Journalists photographed Balat hurling a device, smoking with a lit fuse, that was later found to contain the explosive TATP. The object, which also contained nuts and bolts, extinguished itself without harming anyone.
Balat then dropped a second object near some police officers and tried to run, but was tackled and arrested, according to a court complaint.
Balat and Kayumi were being held without bail after their court appearance on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. They were not required to enter a plea.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday there were no indications that the attack was connected to the ongoing war in Iran, but said the city remained on a heightened state of alert.
On Tuesday afternoon, a park near the mayor’s residence was evacuated and several surrounding streets were closed as police investigated reports of a “suspicious device.”
The object was later determined to be non-threatening.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was not home at the time and Gracie Mansion was not evacuated, a City Hall spokesperson said.
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Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this report.
NYPD police officer and K-9 dog walks outside Carl Schurz Park as they investigate suspicious device, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Jake Lang demonstrates outside Gracie Mansion after a news conference by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani , Monday, March 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference at Gracie Mansion, Monday, March 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Emir Balat, left, and Ibrahim Kayumi, far right, are escorted into Manhattan federal court in New York, Monday, March, 9, 2026, for arraignment on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction after they were arrested for bringing and throwing explosives at a protest two days earlier. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
From left, defense attorney Mehdi Essmidi, defendant Emir Balat, defense attorney Michael Arthus and defendant Ibrahim Kayumi wait for the start of arraignment proceedings in Manhattan federal court in New York, Monday, March, 9, 2026, on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction in New York after Balat and Kayumi were arrested for bringing and throwing explosives at a protest two days earlier. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Police detain Emir Balat after he attempted to detonate an improvised explosive device during a counterprotest against far right influencer Jake Lang staging an anti-Islam protest outside Gracie Mansion, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Julius Constantine Motal)
