ATA Announces Seventh Class of LEAD ATA

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The seventh class of the American Trucking Associations' LEAD ATA industry leadership program was announced today at ATA's Management Conference and Exhibition. Beyond recognizing the new class, ATA also celebrated the graduation of the sixth class during today's lunch session.

"Trucking is empowering the next generation of industry leaders through our LEAD ATA program and we're excited to see how our newest class can shape the future of our industry," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "Over the past few days, we've celebrated the outgoing graduates and introduced the new LEAD ATAers to our association and one another."

LEAD ATA offers exclusive educational opportunities that incorporate real-world problem solving and advanced industry insights. Participants are uniquely set up to become future leaders in the trucking industry by accessing industry experts and building strong networks with colleagues and alumni. Sponsored by Trimble Transportation, the program provides information about the regulatory and legislative processes as well as how ATA educates policymakers throughout those processes. LEAD ATAers also learn about ATA's image and outreach programs, the American Transportation Research Institute, and develop leadership skills through teambuilding exercises and media training.

"Our company has benefitted significantly from having employees go through the LEAD ATA program and bring innovation and resources back to Pottle's Transportation," said ATA Chairman Barry Pottle, president of Pottle's Transportation. "We also know that LEAD ATA members add value to each other's experiences and the industry as a whole by completing projects on the latest industry trends, building relationships with elected officials and learning how to present a good view of our industry to the media."

"Trimble Transportation sees the immense value in the LEAD ATA program and is excited to continue supporting the emerging leaders of our industry," said Trimble Vice President, Customer Experience, Alicia Jarosh. "We at Trimble Transportation love the opportunity to interact with these driven individuals and are looking forward to seeing this year's class grow their understanding of the industry while building lifelong relationships with peers."

The new class of LEAD ATA will meet again for their regulatory overview in January of 2020. They will also meet at ATA's Mid-Year Management Session in May and visit Washington in June for a legislative update and meetings with their members of Congress. Throughout the year, LEAD ATA participants work on problem solving projects to tackle some of the industry's trending issues. The class divides into groups for final presentations that are delivered to ATA Past Chairmen and ATA executives. Participants are also required to complete one individual project each year, which includes speaking to a local school about trucking, taking a leadership role at their state truck driving championship, or hosting an ATA image truck for a community visit.

2019 - 2020 LEAD ATA Class: Fausto Bizzarri, FedEx Ground; Nick Card, Mezzalina Dejongh, Trimac Transportation; Matt Erim, Amazon; Andrew Erin, PGT Trucking Inc.; Brian Falter, YRC Worldwide; Nate Graglia, Wallport Transit Xpress Inc.; James Jaggers, United Parcel Service; Jake Newman; Newman Carriers Inc.; Michael Shipman, Vertical Alliance Group; Kailey Spangenberg, Conversion Interactive Agency; Brett Wilburn, Total Transportation of Mississippi.

2018 - 2019 LEAD ATA Class Graduates: Wayne Bailey, FedEx Freight; Jeremy Byrd, SmartDrive Systems Inc; Brett (Sean) Connell, Bergstrom Inc.; Erica Denney, Denney Transport LTD; Wesley Dunn, RangeWay Carriers LLC; Amber Edmondson, Trailiner Corp.; Anna Faford, C&K Holdings Acquisition LLC; Cristian Garcia, Alto Systems Inc.; Soona Lee, EROAD; Allison Meiners, Ruan Transportation; Barkely Park Jr., UPS Freight; Amanda Pearson, Pottle's Transportation LLC; Andrew Petrofsky, J&M Tank Lines; Terrance (Terry) Pump, CRST Expedited; Whitney Massengill Stokes, Big M Transportation; Ryan Walpole, Walpole Inc.

Additional information on LEAD ATA can be found on the official LEAD ATA website.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward

SOURCE American Trucking Associations