Jan Pattison’s departure from the Queensland Trucking Association this week after more than 20 years of service leaves an enormous gap, in more ways than one, says CEO Gary Mahon.
In a poignant tribute to association members, Mahon praised Pattison for her indelible contributions, particularly in the areas of compliance, policy and regulations, both for members of the QTA, and also for the wider industry.
“Some would say that Jan is a walking encyclopedia of heavy vehicle policy and compliance information and her unique ability to recall the history of the development of heavy vehicle rules, regulations and policy is one of her great strengths,” wrote Mahon.
“This knowledge is regularly called upon by government agencies to assist them when navigating changes and shaping new regulations. Jan’s attention to detail when dealing with regulatory or policy matters is well renowned and will leave no stone unturned when researching or resolving a problem.”
During her years at the QTA, Pattison has been responsible for the delivery of quality member services, advocacy to government agencies and regulators and duly represented the association at government, industry and stakeholder meetings on a wide range of issues that have assisted to shape policy in the heavy vehicle industry.
Mahon said Pattison conducted regular membership meetings of specific sectors to inform operators of association activities and disseminate information on government and agency policy and regulation.
Other contributions in her capacity as an owner-operator at TL Brown Transport was to be selected to be part of the pilot of the first Fatigue Management Program in Queensland, and also playing an active role in shaping fatigue management regulations in the state.
Pattison is also well-known for her role with the development of TruckSafe, an industry accreditation program and the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme.
She was also the owner-driver representative on the Australian Trucking Association Council for four years. In 2010, Pattison was awarded the ATA Trucking Woman of the Year prize.
“On behalf of the QTA Board, we thank Jan for her loyal service to the Association and for her commitment to the road freight industry. We have been fortunate to have some of Jan’s calibre at the QTA for so long and no doubt, her skills and knowledge will be missed,” added Mahon.
“We thank Jan for her service to the QTA and the whole QTA team wish her Jan well on the next chapter of her career.”
The Australian Trucking Association also praised Pattison for her service and celebrated her invaluable input on a raft of issues, including her represenation of owner-drivers in the Road Transport Forum.
“There have been some big personal highlights like being awarded the ATA National Trucking Woman of the Year in 2010, but the everyday things such as negotiating successful outcomes on behalf of members of the industry and operational wins give me a great sense of achievement,” said Pattison.
“I’ve lost count the number of committees and projects I’ve participated in and I’ve been in the company of the best people from across all sectors of the industry.
“I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to have been involved with the development and implementation of many important national and state industry safety schemes and compliance initiatives.
“It’s been a great journey with a great bunch of people.”