Pat Thomas Elected 71st Chairman of American Trucking Associations

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On October 21, American Trucking Associations Board of Directors elected Pat Thomas, senior vice president of state government affairs for UPS, as the federation's 71st chairman.

"It is an immense honor to be chosen by my fellow ATA members as their chairman for the next year," Thomas said. "I want to thank them for this opportunity and say how privileged I feel to be leading this outstanding organization at such a critical time for our industry."

"Pat has always been an outstanding advocate for the trucking industry and I have great faith that he will continue to be one in his role as chairman," ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said. "His passion for trucking will serve this federation and our industry well."

Thomas replaces Duane Long, chairman of Longistics, Raleigh, N.C., as ATA chairman.

As Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs, Thomas oversees all state legislative, regulatory and political activities for the U.S. In this role, he directs a team of state and local public affairs managers across the country. He also oversees the UPS Congressional Awareness Program, a comprehensive grassroots program designed to strengthen UPS's relationships with Members of Congress in their home district.

Thomas began his career with UPS in 1985 as a seasonal delivery driver in Rock Springs. Since then, he held senior positions in operations and human resources before joining the public affairs group in 1998, where he first managed public affairs issues in the western region. In 2002, Thomas was selected to join the public affairs group in Washington, D.C., where he assumed responsibility for developing and managing UPS's state-level policy strategy.

During his tenure as ATA Chairman, Thomas has vowed to focus on the Hiring Our Heroes initiative and hopes to bring more veterans to the trucking industry. He will also fulfill a wide range of responsibilities, which includes nationally advocating on behalf of the trucking industry, supporting ATA's legislative efforts, and working to further improve the trucking industry's image.

Pat Thomas, son of the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) and a native of Casper, Wyo., is married to Kathy Thomas and the couple has three children.

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

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SOURCE American Trucking Associations

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