Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 14, 2024 – The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) is proud to announce that its Executive Director Debbie Sparks and Chairwoman Lesley Veldstra Killingsworth are both recipients of the esteemed Supply & Demand Chain Executive 2024 Pros to Know Award.
The award recognizes executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage the supply chain for competitive advantage. Both Sparks and Killingsworth were acknowledged under the Lifetime Achievement category.
Recipients of this year’s award were announced at MODEX 2024 in Atlanta, GA and are highlighted in the Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s special edition print issue. To view the complete list of winners, click here.
NMFTA made the announcement during NMFTA’s Spring Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both women were recognized in front of their peers at the tri-annual event for less-than-truckload (LTL) professionals.
“We couldn’t be prouder of both Debbie and Lesley as they’ve made significant contributions to the supply chain industry overall throughout their years in trucking industry. They have been instrumental in transforming and initiating necessary changes to improve NMFTA’s products, procedures, and research,” said Mike Morgan, NMFTA’s past chairman and B & H Freight Lines’ president and CEO.
Morgan commended their ability to drive collaboration and implement initiatives such as the National Motor Freight Classification’s (NMFC) classification reimagined project, the digitization of the industry through its electronic bill-of-lading (eBOL) standard, and sharing critical cybersecurity research.
“Debbie’s greatest strength lies in how she can foster industry collaboration and truly cares about the supply chain sector she serves,” shared Morgan. “It is her responsibility and role to safeguard the industry and ensure its growth throughout each passing year.”
Thanks to Sparks, NMFTA is a champion of securing data across all sectors to become a source of preventative measures against sophisticated hackers and an advocate of fully digitizing the eBOL system with its standard.
“NMFTA is all about creating opportunities and a foundation for companies to thrive upon,” continued Morgan. “This is also true for how we approach establishing our executive leadership team.”
As NMFTA’s first female board chair, Polaris Transportation Group’s Killingworth has implemented automation in the company’s rating system. As a result, the transformative initiative has led to a 30% reduction in the team’s workload, freeing up time for higher-value tasks. She has spearheaded the creation of new operating procedures to standardize workflows across operations, accounting, customs, and pricing, leading to increased efficiency and a reduction in communication gaps.
“We are thrilled with what both ladies have accomplished thus far in their roles at NMFTA and Polaris, respectively, and we look forward to being a part of future contributions as we propel the industry forward into a reality where technology is further leveraged, data is protected, and companies can flourish,” continued Morgan.
To learn more about NMFTA’s mission, advocacy, services, resources, and industry conferences, visit www.nmfta.org.
About NMFTA
Since 1956, the National Motor Freight Classification, Inc. (NMFC)®️ has represented the interests of the less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier industry. The NMFTA publishes the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC)®️, assigns Standard Carrier Alpha Code™ (SCAC®), assignment of Standard Point Location Codes® (SPLC™), develops digital standards for the LTL industry, and safeguards those digital standards through cybersecurity research, dissemination of studies, and education. Membership in NMFTA is available to all for-hire interstate and intrastate motor carriers. For more information, visit www.nmfta.org.
Contact
Marli Hall
Director of Communications
marli.hall@nmfta.org
703-665-3559
