ArvinMeritor communications official earns writers' lifetime achievement award

Mike Pennington is well respected among trucking media and known from his annual news conferences at the Mid-America Trucking Show. (The Trucker/Lyndon Finney)

By LYNDON FINNEY
The Trucker Staff

3/28/2008

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — D. Mike Pennington, ArvinMeritor’s senior director of global marketing and communications and industry relations for Commercial Vehicle Systems, was awarded the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA) at the group’s annual banquet at the Mid-America Trucking Show here Thursday night.

It is the highest award bestowed by the TWNA.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Memphis [he remains an avid Memphis Tiger fan and vowed to figure out a way to stay awake for the late starting Memphis-Michigan State NCAA game Friday night], Pennington began his trucking industry career on the editorial staff of Memphis-based Southern Motor Cargo, a regional trucking magazine.

He rose to the top editorial position of that publication where he quickly earned the respect of his fellow editors, and more importantly, learned what is needed by trade press editors as they develop articles about the trucking industry and the equipment used by truckers.

Pennington still enjoys the highest respect of the entire trucking trade press industry, both publishers and editors alike, according to Tom Kelley, executive director of TWNA.

Pennington left the editorial ranks in 1985 and joined ArvinMeritor when it was still Rockwell Automotive as manager of product publicity and business relations. He rose over the years to be the director of marketing communications-Americas before he was appointed to his present position.

Pennington is best known among the trucking media for the news conferences the company holds during the Mid-America show.

Given a permanent Wednesday night slot by the show’s organizers, Pennington moves the event from venue to venue in the Louisville area. In recent years, the news conference has been held in locations such as a history museum, a baseball museum and an art gallery.

This year’s event was held aboard a river boat.

For additional coverage of this story, as well as other MATS news, events and photos, please read the April 15 edition of The Trucker.