WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is announcing Chris Maxwell, president & CEO of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, and Mark Colson, president & CEO of the Alabama 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.
Chris Maxwell
“I’m beyond humbled to serve as TAEC chair and to lead some of the smartest, most passionate people on earth—State Trucking Association Executives—and to join them in making the lives of our country’s professional truck drivers safer, easier and more efficient,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell previously served as the TAEC vice chair and succeeds Tony Bradley, president & CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, who recently concluded his one-year term as TAEC chair. As TAEC chairman, Mr. Maxwell serves as the TAEC representative to the ATA Executive Committee and Strategic Priorities Committee. As vice chairman, Colson serves as first alternate should Maxwell be unable to participate in an Executive Committee or Strategic Priorities Committee meeting.
Maxwell has been an active member of the Rhode Island Trucking Association since 1987, serving as chairman of its board of directors prior to being named president and CEO in 2011. He spent 25 years in trucking and transportation safety at a heavy highway contractor and is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including the 2019 ATA President’s TAEC Leadership Award.
Mark Colson
“As Alabama’s top executive for trucking since 2019, Colson works closely with policymakers in Montgomery and Washington, D.C., to ensure they understand the essential part trucking plays in the global supply chain and its tremendous impact on the state’s economy and the daily lives of all Alabamians,” ATA said.
He is an active participant in American Trucking Associations’ federal advocacy and serves on the Truck PAC Board of Directors as well as the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) Research Advisory Committee. Prior to leading the Alabama Trucking Association, Colson advocated for Alabama’s business community by serving in various leadership roles at the Business Council of Alabama, Alabama’s state chamber of commerce.
ATA Trucking Association Executive Council
TAEC is comprised of staff executives of state trucking associations and conferences affiliated with ATA. The purpose of TAEC is to:
- Promote the trucking industry.
- Contribute to the improvement of the associations and organizations established to serve the trucking industry.
- Advance the professional stature and capabilities of the managers and executives of such associations.
TAEC also announced the 2026-27 regional and ATA Conference Chairs:
- Region I (NETAEC): Kevin Weeks, executive director, Trucking Association of Massachusetts.
- Region II: Ben Greenberg, president & CEO, North Carolina Trucking Association.
- Region III: Liz Icenogle, executive director, Kansas Motor Carriers Association.
- Region IV (WTAEC): Eric Sauer, CEO, California Trucking Association.
- ATA Conferences: Jon Eisen, executive director, ATA Intermodal Carriers Conference / vice president, ATA Conferences.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
