some balance to work with regulators in a constructive way and not in a way that’s harmful or harbors an agenda. Spear says the enemy isn’t regulations;
it’s bad regulations. “We don’t mind regula- tions. We are used to them. We just want very good, clear regulations. Things that work and can be complied with. We haven’t seen a lot of that lately, and that’s an area of focus that we need to step up and work with the agencies to really help shape what that outcome is going to look like and ensure that it’s not damaging to the indus- try going forward.” And of course, come November, the
strategy could change, but Spear says that trucking’s story won’t. “You’ve got a Senate here in D.C. that
could flip…And I’m not even going to begin to guess who’s going to be in the White House or what happens to the Senate. What I tell you would probably be wrong a week later. Just a moving target. I don’t worry about it. Largely because it doesn’t change our story. “We’ve won in both democrat-con-
trolled Senates as well as republican-con- trolled Senates. We just tell our story, and we use every resource we’ve got. It’s a good story, and if we tell it right, it really doesn’t matter to me, in the end, if they have a D or an R at the end of their title. We have found support in both parties, just by doing our job and doing it right.”
Return on investment Elisabeth Barna predicts that one of
the biggest changes members can expect is a defined return on investment. She says after only two weeks on the job, Spear has been on the road visiting nonmembers, for- mer members and current members. “He has either been on the phone or on an air- plane trying to listen and learn and get feedback,” she says. Spear’s vision is to run the association
like a business to give members something in return for their engagement. “We represent large and small compa-
nies, and I think it is inherently responsible to think like a business going forward in order to tell that story effectively and more broadly,” Spear says. “It’s nice to do advo- cacy and gather and compare notes and
Issue 3, Fall 2016 31
share information, but really what I think our members are looking for is a defined ROI, that legislative or regulatory win. And that takes us working with all sectors of industry, all other coalition partners.” Barna encourages members and
stakeholders to reach out with thoughts, suggestions and ideas because the ATA is all ears. “There’s no criticism from the last 14 years. I mean the governor did a great job. The world is changing, and politics are changing here in Washington. It’s a lot dif-
ferent from when he started,” she says. Spear is optimistic about all the
changes and wants members to be as well. “We have proven we can do it, and I think going forward, if we keep looking for that ROI, members will be excited to be part of ATA. They will see the value and the pride it gives to the industry, waving this banner here in D.C. I’m very much looking for- ward to putting some wins on the board and showing members that their hard- earned dues are paying off.” r
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