ATA Welcomes New Leadership Training Class
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As the country continues to praise the trucking industry’s contributions during the pandemic, American Trucking Associations announced the new members of its executive training class.
Thirteen individuals were selected to participate in the prestigious LEAD ATA leadership program, ATA announced Oct. 26 during its annual Management Conference & Exhibition.
The members of the new class are Jenny Abernathy, CRST Expedited; Brandon Bibbs, U.S. Xpress Enterprises; Adam Blanchard, Double Diamond Transport Inc.; James Breeden Jr., K.L. Breeden & Sons; Nick Card, Combined Transport Inc.; Frank Ems, FedEx Freight; Ryan Fredericksen, Ruan Transportation; Justin Hill, Hill Transportation Services Inc.; Aaron Knight, UPS Inc.; Glen Lyles, FedEx Ground; Alexandra Mangino, Katz, Sapper & Miller; Shawn McCloud, Coyote (a UPS company); and Raguram Venkatesan, Optym.
LEAD ATA aims to provide participants executive training via real-world scenarios. Throughout the yearlong program, participants also learn the regulatory and legislative landscape, and ATA’s goals and objectives through advocacy, outreach, research and training.
The new class will kick off in January and meet throughout the year. Members will be required to share insight with a local civic organization or school, volunteer at a state truck driving championship or host one of ATA’s image trucks.
“Trucking is an industry that is always looking to the horizon, and part of that is mobilizing and preparing our next generation of industry leaders,” ATA President Chris Spear said. “The LEAD ATA program is an important part of making sure that our industry and our association will remain in good hands well into the future.”
Guillot
“Our company has benefited significantly from having our employees, including my son, go through the LEAD ATA program,” said ATA Chairman Randy Guillot, CEO of Southeastern Motor Freight and Triple G Express Inc. “Those who go through LEAD ATA not only gain valuable experience but are able to bring more perspective to their roles by completing projects on the latest industry trends, gaining relationships with the LEAD community and building relationships with elected officials.”
ATA also recognized LEAD ATA’s outgoing class. ATA Executive Vice President for Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna said she looked forward to working with the outgoing group at association and industry events.
Barna
“While this was not the year these young men and women had planned on having, we are proud of the work they did as part of the LEAD ATA program,” Barna said.
The 2019-20 LEAD ATA class consisted of Fausto Bizzarri, FedEx Ground; Mezzalina Dejongh, Trimac Transportation; Matt Erim, Amazon.com Inc.; Andrew Erin, PGT Trucking Inc.; Brian Falter, YRC Worldwide; Nate Graglia, Wallport Transit Xpress Inc.; James Jaggers, UPS Inc.; Jake Newman; Newman Carriers Inc.; Michael Shipman, Vertical Alliance Group; Kailey Spangenberg, Conversion Interactive Agency; and Brett Wilburn, Total Transportation of Mississippi.
The program is sponsored by Trimble Transportation. Alicia Jarosh, Trimble’s vice president of customer insights, expressed enthusiasm about working closely with participants who she referred to as “aspiring executives.”
Jarosh said, “We are thrilled to continue to support this program and to watch this new class grow in their understanding of trucking while also building strong relationships within the industry.”
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