ATA Honors Wyoming's Sheila Foertsch with President's TAEC Award

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Trucking Associations honored Sheila Foertsch, managing director of the Wyoming Trucking Association, as the 19th winner of the ATA President's Trucking Association Executives Council Leadership Award during the association's Management Conference and Exhibition.

"Sheila is a steadfast ATA supporter and has always sought to unify the industry and ATA Federation," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear, "and she really shined this year - even greater than usual - when unexpectedly confronted with two major issues, one federal and one state, that can only be viewed as attacks on our industry."

Just this year, Foertsch spearheaded opposition to a proposal to fund the federal highway program by using a new and discriminatory truck-only vehicle miles traveled tax. Her quick action on behalf of the industry led to the proposal being killed before it advanced in Congress.

Not satisfied with this, Foertsch also took the fight on behalf of the industry to her statehouse, leading the effort to defeat a tolling proposal in Wyoming.

The Trucking Association Executives Council is comprised of staff executives of state trucking associations and conferences affiliated with the American Trucking Associations. TAEC serves to promote the trucking industry; contribute to the improvement of the associations and organizations established to serve the trucking industry; and advance the professional stature and capabilities of the managers and executives of such associations.

The President's TAEC Leadership Award was created in 2002 by ATA to honor a state trucking association leader and to create an enduring legacy for that leader and for the industry. The award comes with a $10,000 grant for a non-profit 501(c)(3) trucking education or research organization chosen by Foertsch.

"The ATA Federation is lucky to have leaders like Foertsch who work hard and advocated tirelessly on behalf of our industry," said incoming ATA Chair Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president of Garner Trucking. "She is an indefatigable voice on behalf of trucking and I'd like to congratulate her on behalf of the entire ATA."

Past winners of the award are: Chris Maxwell of Rhode Island, Shannon Newton of Arkansas, Shawn Yadon of California, Brenda Neville of Iowa, John Esparza of Texas, Kendra Hems of New York, Mike Riley of Connecticut, Rick Todd of South Carolina, George Burruss of Missouri, Karen Rasmussen of Arizona, Jim Runk of Pennsylvania, Tom Howells of Wisconsin, John Hausladen of Minnesota, Dale Hanington of Maine, Larry Davis of Ohio, Dale Bennett of Virginia, Cathy Gautreaux of Louisiana and Dave Huneryager of Tennessee.

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