Our Two CentsOBAC Names Joanne Ritchie Executive Director
OTTAWA, ONT. (May 24, 2004) -- The Owner-Operator's
Business Association of Canada is pleased to announce the appointment
of Ms. Joanne Ritchie as its full-time executive director. Ms Ritchie
takes over the position held on an interim basis since October 2002 by
Mr. Leo Van Tuyl.
Ms. Ritchie brings a wealth of experience
and personal involvement with the trucking industry to the position.
She was most recently the Trucking Industry Analyst with Industry
Canada's Automotive and Aerospace Branch where she worked closely with
the trucking industry on key issues, including border security, safety,
regulatory reform, and human resources. She is a skilled communicator,
a highly effective organizer, and a dedicated and enthusiastic
supporter of owner-operators.
“We are entering a new era in
trucking where shippers are beginning to accept the true cost of safe,
efficient, and responsive trucking services. OBAC will be working hard
to ensure owner-operators can provide that service and are adequately
compensated. We will make sure that the voice of the owner-operator is
heard loud and clear,” says Ritchie. “I welcome the challenge of
working with OBAC in making owner-operators a recognized voice within
the Canadian trucking industry and helping them profit in this
difficult and demanding business environment.”
A transplanted
Maritimer, Ritchie hails from Moncton, N.B., but currently lives in
Ottawa. She holds degrees in English Literature from Mount Allison
University and the University of New Brunswick, as well as an MBA from
Concordia University. She is also a freelance writer and researcher.
“Joanne
has certainly gained the confidence of the group over the past couple
of years,” says OBAC's vice president, Don Robertson of Duncan, B.C.
“Her dedication and commitment to this cause are beyond question, and
her honesty and integrity inspire confidence in everyone she deals
with. In short, I think her appointment is one of the best decisions
our board of directors could possibly have made.”
OBAC is an innovative, responsive, and results-oriented organization – the voice of the small-business trucker in Canada.
Contact:
Joanne Ritchie
Executive Director
jritchie@obac.ca
or
Mike Smith
Director, Communications
msmith@obac.ca
Owner-Operator's Business Association of Canada (OBAC)
275 Slater Street, Suite 900
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5H9
Tel: 613-237-6222
Toll Free: 888-794-9990
Fax: 888-205-9991
