Washington – Today, the American Trucking Associations announced that John Esparza, president & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association, and Tony Bradley, president & CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, have been elected by their state trucking association peers to serve as the chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Trucking Association Executives Council.
Mr. Esparza previously served as the TAEC vice chair and succeeds Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, who recently concluded her one-year term as TAEC chair. As TAEC chairman, Mr. Esparza serves as the TAEC representative to the ATA Executive Committee and Strategic Priorities Committee. As vice chairman, Mr. Bradley serves as first alternate should Mr. Esparza be unable to participate in an Executive Committee or Strategic Priorities Committee meeting.
“To say it is a tremendous honor would be an understatement,” said TAEC Chairman John Esparza, president & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association. “I will take Shannon’s lead in this long gray line of so many state executives who have been elected by their peers, all with the same goal in mind: to serve the industry and one another selflessly and with the spirit of the many great men and women who work daily to keep this country trucking safely.”
"It is an honor to be elected as Vice Chairman of the TAEC. I am committed to working collaboratively with my fellow executives to drive positive change, advance our industry's priorities and improve our association,” said TAEC Vice Chairman Tony Bradley, president & CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association. “Together, we will continue to advocate for the interests of our members and ensure a strong future for trucking and trucking associations."
TAEC is comprised of staff executives of state trucking associations and conferences affiliated with ATA. The purpose of TAEC is to (1) promote the trucking industry, (2) contribute to the improvement of the associations and organizations established to serve the trucking industry and (3) advance the professional stature and capabilities of the managers and executives of such associations.
Mr. Esparza has led the Texas Trucking Association and the Southwest Movers Association since 2006. Previously, he worked for the administrations of Gov. Rick Perry and Gov. George W. Bush, and he has served on the Texas Energy Task Force, the Texas Panama Canal Stakeholder Work Group and Texas Proposition 1 Special Committee on Transportation Funding. Mr. Esparza continues to serve on the Texas Transportation Commission’s State Freight Advisory Committee and the Texas Border Infrastructure Planning Committee. He was most recently appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Task Force.
Mr. Bradley has led the Arizona Trucking Association and the Arizona Trucking Association Foundation since 2013. He began his professional career with Senator John McCain, working in a variety of capacities for the late Senator in Arizona and Washington, D.C., and he consulted and advised on hundreds of political and public affairs campaigns throughout the United States. With more than 25 years of experience in public policy, government relations and public affairs, he is a passionate advocate for the trucking industry and is considered a trustworthy ally and a formidable foe at the Arizona Capitol.