New American Trucking Assns. President and CEO Chris Spear has wasted no time putting in place his leadership team, naming several top positions within the organization on Thursday.
“ATA is embarking on a transition and driving in a new direction, one I am proud to lead and prouder still to have these fine individuals and all the ATA staff play a part in,” Spear said. “We share the vision and goal of ensuring this essential industry continues to prosper and safely move our country forward.”
The new members of ATA’s senior leadership are:
Elisabeth Barna, chief operating officer and executive vice president of industry affairs;
Jennifer Hall, general counsel and executive vice president of legal affairs;
Sue Hensley, executive vice president of communications and public affairs; and
Bill Sullivan, executive vice president of advocacy.
Barna
Barna is a trucking industry veteran, with nearly 20 years at ATA, most recently as senior vice president of communications and public affairs, and has already started in her role. She's also widely known and respected within the industry for wrangling America's Road Team Captains, ATA's driver-focused public outreach program.
Hall was most recently the general counsel and deputy staff director for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but also has extensive experience in the executive branch, including the Department of Homeland Security, and private sector. She will begin at ATA on Sept. 3.
Hensley
Hensley comes to ATA from the National Restaurant Association where she was senior vice president for public affairs and communications. Previously, Hensley served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Labor, Associate Administrator for the Small Business Administration and House and Senate communications director for former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.). She will start at ATA on Aug. 15.
Sullivan joins ATA after most recently as legislative director for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and previous tours at the Department of Justice and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Sullivan’s first day at ATA will be Aug. 15.
“As ATA forges this new path forward, we are lucky to have quality leaders like Elisabeth, Jennifer, Sue and Bill join our already tremendous professional staff,” said ATA Chairman Pat Thomas, senior vice president for state government affairs at UPS Inc. “On behalf of the members of ATA, I’d like to congratulate all of them and wish them nothing but success in their new roles.”
Additional leadership appointments will be made in the coming weeks as ATA continues to transition under Spear’s leadership, an ATA statement said.
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