Arizona Trucking Taps Bradley as Association’s President

This story appears in the Feb. 11 print edition of Transport Topics.

The Arizona Trucking Association selected Tony Bradley as its new president last week, ending a three-month search.

He succeeds Karen Rasmussen, who left in November after more than a decade in the post.

Before becoming AzTA president, Bradley, 38, was president of Roundtable Strategies, his consulting and lobbying firm in Phoenix. He also was executive director of the Coalition for a Connected West, a nonpartisan education and advocacy organization for technology and telecommunications policies in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

“Tony brings a unique set of skills and experience that will continue AzTA’s long history of success,” George Cravens, president of AzTA’s board of directors, said in a Feb. 5 statement announcing Bradley’s hiring.

Bradley assumed his duties immediately, which include also serving as executive director for the Arizona Transportation Education Foundation created by AzTA, as well as overseeing the state motor vehicle registration center that AzTA operates at its headquarters in Tolleson, just west of Phoenix.

Rasmussen left the 300-member AzTA in “great shape,” Bradley said, so his first task will be to build on the success of the association.

Although he does not have a background specifically in trucking or transportation, Bradley said, some of his preparation for the job comes from his work in Washington in 1999 and 2000 as a staff member for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee when Sen. John McCain was its chairman.

“I know a little bit about transportation and a lot about public policy and politics and public affairs and all of the related items, but I’m learning transportation as quickly as possible,” Bradley said.

He also said he plans to use social media as much as possible to build membership and promote the value of AzTA membership.

Much of his work will center on “educating not only the general public but, obviously, the legislature on issues that are important to us,” Bradley said. Last week, he was studying to “get up to speed” on legislative issues, he added.

Bradley also has worked as a research director and political adviser to Maria Baier, a member of the Phoenix City Council, and he worked on McCain’s campaigns, including the 2008 presidential campaign.

Rasmussen is now president of Help Inc., which provides PrePass and other commercial vehicle safety services to truckers.