Women in Trucking names finalists for 2019 Distinguished Woman in Logistics award

The Women In Trucking (WIT) Association has announced five finalists for its fifth annual Distinguished Woman in Logistics award.

Sponsored by the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and Truckstop.com, the award is intended to “promote the achievements of women employed in the North American transportation industry,” according to a WIT press release.

Finalists for 2019 are: Lindsey Graves, Sunset Transportation; Michelle Halkerston, Hassett Express; Judy McReynolds, ArcBest; Sarah Ruffcorn, Trinity Logistics; and Erin Van Zeeland, Schneider. According to WIT, finalists were selected from an immense group of high-performing women representing third-party logistics, supply chain management and related functional disciplines.

Members of the judging panel include: Stephanie S. Ivey, Director of Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute, Southeast Transportation Workforce Center, and Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis; Nancy O’Liddy, Chief of Staff at TIA; Brent Hutto, Chief Relationship Officer at Truckstop.com; and Ellen Voie, President and CEO of WIT.

The winner will be announced on Friday, April 12, during the TIA 2019 “Capital Ideas” Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida.

Lindsey Graves

Lindsey Graves is a second-generation owner and Chief Operating Officer at Sunset Transportation, a leading St. Louis, Missouri-based third party logistics company. In her 12 years with Sunset, she has grown through hands-on experience in every department; she now oversees operational and personnel growth, strategy, marketing and implementation at Sunset’s corporate headquarters in south St. Louis and five national branch offices. Graves was a Class of 2018, “40 Under 40” Recipient of the St. Louis Business Journal.

Michelle Halkerston

Michelle Halkerston is President, CEO & Owner of Hassett Express, a full-service transportation and logistics provider specializing in time-definite services. She joined Hassett Air Express in 2001 as Vice President of Strategic Planning, was named President in September 2003, and purchased the company in October 2013. Halkerston is involved in all facets of the business and has steered the Hassett team through significant changes in customer needs and dynamics to achieve the most successful year in company history. As a privately held Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Hassett’s success is based on commitment to its employees, customers and community and on building partnerships that provide value to both organizations.

Judy McReynolds

Judy R. McReynolds is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ArcBest. From its roots in less-than-truckload delivery, under McReynolds’ leadership ArcBest has transformed into a full-scale provider of end-to-end supply chain services, surpassing $3 billion in revenue last year. In 2016, McReynolds was elected ArcBest Chairman of the Board. She has 28 years of logistics and transportation industry experience, including 21 years at ArcBest. McReynolds also serves on numerous outside boards. She is the current chair of the American Transportation Research Institute board, and a member of the American Trucking Associations’ Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Sarah Ruffcorn

Sarah Ruffcorn is the Chief Operations Officer of Trinity Logistics, a 2018 “Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation” Company. In this role, Ruffcorn leads: Trinity’s Regional Service Center brokerage offices throughout the country; the Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) division; the Advanced Services division, which includes warehousing, expedited, drayage, international and intermodal services; as well as the Managed Services division, which includes shipper transportation management systems and fully managed solutions services. Ruffcorn also serves on the Trinity Logistics Board of Directors, is co-chair of TIA’s Women in Logistics Committee, and is a member of the TIA Technology Committee. She was awarded the 2015 Delaware Business Times’ “Best 40 Under 40” award for being one of the region’s “best and brightest young professionals.”

Erin Van Zeeland

Erin Van Zeeland is Group Senior Vice President and General Manager of Logistics Services at Schneider, a premier provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services.  Schneider is a $5 billion (2018 annual revenue) company founded in 1935 and its foundation of operational excellence is built on service, trust and reliability. In her position, Van Zeeland is responsible for all aspects of the company’s Logistics Service offering; this includes Transportation Management (Brokerage), Supply Chain Management, Warehousing and Port Dray. Within her functional responsibilities, she ensures that over 27,000 third-party carriers and service providers are effectively utilized to meet supply chain needs, service and profitability objectives across any mode of transportation and logistics services.