Joanne Ritchie – Ottawa, Ont. (Executive Director)
Jim Park – St. Catharines, Ont. (Technical & Regulatory Affairs)
Donna Muir – Bayside, N.B. (Secretary/Treasurer)
John Newton – Montreal, Que. (Director)

Joanne Ritchie – Executive Director

Joanne Ritchie can best be described as a skilled communicator, a highly effective organizer, an analytical and strategic thinker, and a dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of drivers and owner-operators. She joined OBAC in 2004 after a long stint as Industry Canada's Trucking Industry Analyst. As a sector specialist in the Aerospace & Automotive Directorate, she worked with the trucking industry on key issues, including border security, safety, regulatory reform, and human resources. She was also an active participant in several working groups and standing committees.

She is well acquainted with owner-operator and driver issues. She worked closely with several provincial ministries facilitating discussions on fuel surcharges in 2000 and 2001, and was responsible for bringing together several owner-operator groups from across Canada to develop the framework for a national organization that would become OBAC.

Joanne hails from Moncton, N.B. and retains strong family ties with Atlantic Canada. She holds degrees in English Literature from Mount Allison University and University of New Brunswick, as well as an MBA from Concordia University in Montreal. She is a freelance writer and researcher with a keen interest in seafaring women, a devoted supporter of the arts in Canada, and can bring a Shakespeare quote to almost any discussion.

Joanne has always been a strong advocate of the "underdog" and brings a wealth of experience to her position as OBAC's executive director, but more importantly, her personal conviction for fairness and equal opportunity make her ideally suited for her role as the driver’s best friend and chief advocate.

Contact Joanne at jritchie@obac.ca

Jim Park – St. Catharines, Ont. (Technical & Regulatory Affairs)

Jim Park has been an active player in the trucking industry since 1978. He spent the first 20 years on the road as both a company driver and an owner-operator, on tankers of one sort or another, and the next 10 years (and counting) as a journalist. His editorial career began in 1996 with a small Canadian publication called RPM Canada. He joined highwaySTAR magazine in 1999 at its launch and became its editor in 2002. Jim earned six Kenneth R. Wilson business journalism awards for his contributions to highwaySTAR and Today’s Trucking during his nine years with Newcom Business Media.

While he was transitioning from driver to writer, Jim also hosted an overnight radio show for truckers called The All Night Road Show on Hamilton's 820 CHAM.

During his time with the magazines, Jim always provided his readers with useful information, and strove to help them solve problems he experienced himself while on the road. He remains a staunch advocate of the drivers' point of view. Over the years, he accumulated a wealth of knowledge and greater understanding of the industry as a whole, which he shares with OBAC members, putting his experience to good use in his role as the group's technical and regulatory affairs advisor. 

Jim is a founding member of OBAC, and remains committed to the safety and prosperity of all drivers and owner-operators.

Contact Jim at jpark@obac.ca

Donna Muir – Bayside, N.B. (Secretary/Treasurer)

Donna Muir's life experience can only be described as varied, and perfectly suited to her role as a Director of OBAC. Her family operated a commercial dairy farm for fourteen years, she has worked as an educator in both high school and community college settings, she spent several years as an owner-operator with her husband, and, she's a trained mediator.

Donna's involvement in the dairy industry led her to work with both provincial and federal governmental agencies to secure and implement agricultural betterment programs for local farmers. She served fourteen years with the Farm Debt Mediation Process as a mediator and a panel expert on the dairy industry.

A Maritimer by birth and education, Donna lives in Bayside, N.B. (located near St. Andrews, in southwestern N.B.), with her husband Sandy. While her principal background is in secondary education, her various career activities have taught her the value of becoming involved in what she believes in and the importance of proper business management.

Contact Donna at dmuir@obac.ca 

John Newton – Montreal, Que. (Director)

John Newton's experience as an owner-operator can best be described as self-educated by necessity, self-reliant by default, and self-improved as the result. John began his career as an owner-operator in 1997 on the advice of a friend who happened to be a load broker. John had held several other jobs over his working life, and had worked as a company driver many years earlier, but when the opportunity arose to go the owner-operator route, he found himself to be truly independent in every sense of the word.

He went into the business with his own authority, and realized pretty quickly that there was no one standing by to bail him out when he did something wrong. Running a 20-year-old tractor and a 13-year-old reefer, he quickly learned the importance of watching his operating expenses. He taught himself how to manage his costs, but more importantly, he learned how to analyze his past mistakes in order to avoid making them a second time.

Being self-taught brings a unique perspective to OBAC in that he serves as a good example of how better business management can contribute to the success of a small trucking enterprise. John is looking forward to sharing his experience with other owner-operators in similar situations, and swears that if he can do it, almost anyone can. John Newton lives in Montreal with his wife Claire.

Contact John at jnewton@obac.ca