Changes Made at Alaska Trucking Association

ANCHORAGE—The Alaska Trucking Association (ATA) has announced top management changes effective August 1.

Lifelong Alaska resident and business leader Robert Shake has been named the new Executive Director of the 300 member association, and Joe Michel has been named Deputy Director.

After serving ATA for thirteen years Aves Thompson will officially retire as Executive Director on July 31.

Thompson had spent twenty-four years regulating commercial vehicles for the state of Alaska and retired as division director of commercial vehicle enforcement for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. He also served as Chief and Director of Weights and Measures and was presented a lifetime achievement award from the National Conference on Weights and Measures.

He chaired the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) Freight Advisory Committee and served on the Port of Alaska Commission, the UAA Advisory Boards for the Engineering, Logistics, and Diesel, Schools as well as the Governor’s Road and Highway Advisory Board.

Thompson was noted for his oft-mentioned quote: “If you got it, a truck brought it.”

He will remain in Alaska with this wife Phyllis and daughter and son in law and two grandsons.

Shake, brings nearly forty years of commercial finance and management experience to ATA having held executive management positions in commercial banks, credit unions, and the commercial insurance industry.

A graduate of Colorado College with a degree in Business Administration he has served on and held leadership positions on various boards and commissions including Providence Alaska Foundation, Municipal Light & Power, World Trade Center Alaska, and Boys and Girls Club Alaska.

Joe Michel, the newly appointed Deputy Director, has over a decade of experience in Alaska State Government. He has worked in the Governor’s office and both the House and Senate of the Alaska State Legislature. He has coordinated the Capital Budget for the House of Representatives and the Operating Budget for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.