Shannon Newton
President, Arkansas Trucking Association
About me: I am president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. I have been with ATA for 20 years, serving as president since 2014. During my tenure, I have filled a range of roles with responsibilities in member services, public relations, legislative affairs and advocacy.
I served in various capacities to former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, including the Governor’s Working Group on Highway Funding in 2019, the COVID Economic Recovery Task Force in 2020 and the Council on Future Mobility in 2022. Recently, I was named to the Transportation Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to provide insight on the economic conditions of the trucking industry.
A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, I live in Bryant with my husband and two children.
Lives in: Bryant • Works in: Little Rock
Best Career Advice: Know what you’re good at. Each of us has inherent strengths that support a unique skill set. Pursue or create opportunities to incorporate and amplify those areas where you excel, and surround yourself with people who possess other talents to fill in the gaps.
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: You can’t do it all. It is impossible to be the best at everything. Our individual bandwidth is not unlimited. Most women have no idea how to define success or what sacrifices might have to be made to achieve it.
Proudest Moment of Impact: The opportunity to be an integral part of the Vote for Roads campaign in 2020 was my personal favorite. Our committee’s success ensures adequate investment in this state’s infrastructure that will impact every community, whether you earn a living driving over the road, building the roads or are just looking to get around town quicker and safer.
What Keeps Me Motivated: Our work is never done. My internal voice rarely allows me the opportunity to be unmotivated. I am ridiculously competitive, whether it be with myself or another competitor, real or perceived. I am most comfortable being productive, striving to overcome, achieve success and avoid failure.
TOP 100 WOMEN OF IMPACT IN ARKANSAS 2023
A Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Initiative