Succession Planning by WIT President & CEO Ellen Voie

Succession Planning

New VP with WIT history to help guide future for the association

Ellen Voie, CAE, President & CEO, Women In Trucking Association, Inc.

When I created the Women In Trucking Association 13 years ago, I never could have imagined the growth we’ve experienced since then. I am so blessed that some amazing female executives supported the mission and helped spread the word about this new organization focused on increasing the ranks of women in transportation careers.

One of the original board members was Debbie Sparks, then Director of Marketing at the American Trucking Associations, Inc. Debbie agreed to serve as the very first Board Secretary at the inaugural meeting held in Las Vegas at the Truckload Carriers Association conference in March 2007.

In our first year, we attracted over 500 corporate and individual members, created a website and hosted our first reception at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

Fast forward to 2019. We’ve grown to nearly 5,300 members in 10 countries. Our Accelerate! Conference and Expo continues to grow, and this year is no exception with over 1,100 attendees. We’ve received numerous awards, including the Transportation Innovators Champion of Change from the White House. Our staff has expanded from one person, Char Pingel, to include a team of a dozen associates who all share a passion for our mission.

Managing growth is a wonderful challenge, but there is much more to be done. We’re adding a driver ambassador, expanding the Image Team’s activities, giving away another truck donated by Arrow Truck Sales and increasing our membership.

With so much work ahead, the board of directors identified my succession plan as a top priority. We are truly excited to cross that task off the list with the addition of Debbie Sparks to the WIT team. Debbie brings not only a passion for the mission, but also a background in association management, which is crucial for this role. In addition, she has worked in the trucking industry for much of her career.

Debbie is currently serving out her term as Director of Transportation and Community Outreach at Wreaths Across America. She will begin her role as WIT Vice President on Jan. 1, 2020. Until then, Debbie will be absorbing the expanded activities at Women In Trucking since she served on the board over a decade ago.

Don’t worry – I’m not going anywhere for a while. When the time comes, I will be thrilled to pass the baton to Debbie and watch her bring fresh ideas to the organization. In the meantime, I look forward to working closely with her to keep moving forward the Women In Trucking Association.

Please help us welcome Debbie Sparks to the WIT team!

Debbie Sparks will join WIT as Vice President in January 2020.