The American Trucking Associations honored Dr. Alix Miller, president and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association, with the ATA Trucking Association Executives Council President’s Leadership Award.

“For the second year in a row, we are honoring an individual who is relatively new to the TAEC, having yet to be eligible for a five-year TAEC Service Award. Yet in that short time, Alix has dramatically changed the culture and overall public and political perception of the clout of FTA,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO, ATA, said. “That bump up in clout was on full display this past year when the association spearheaded a hugely successful legislative initiative that planted a major flag for one of our highest priorities – lawsuit abuse.”

Miller, who took over as FTA president and CEO in 2021 after serving as the organization’s vice president of government affairs, engaged in what Spear called a “multi-year, knockdown, drag-out war against the state trial bar that culminated with a major victory this past March when Gov. DeSantis signed into law legislation that provides sweeping reforms to Florida’s legal framework.”

“While the win was huge for the overall business community in Florida, it was the FTA that led the effort,” Spear said. “This huge victory in Florida further demonstrates the industry’s commitment to fighting back against the trial bar, which has preyed on trucking for far too long. The FTA victory put trial lawyers on the ropes and built momentum for lawsuit abuse reforms in states like Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Texas and West Virginia.”

TAEC is comprised of staff executives of state trucking associations and conferences affiliated with ATA. TAEC serves to promote the trucking industry, contribute to the improvement of the associations and organizations established to serve the industry, and advance the professional stature and capabilities of the managers and executives of such associations and conferences.

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 trucking education or research cause chosen by Miller.

Past winners of the award are: Rebecca Oyler of Pennsylvania, Paul Enos of Nevada, Sheila Foertsch of Wyoming, 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.