Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to introduce its list of Influencers for 2024, those who inspire us all to reach higher, achieve more and improve things in our communities. Within this list, find leaders in the corporate, nonprofit and public-service spaces — people who provide jobs, feed the state’s economy and provide a hand up to those who need it.
The individuals on this list were handpicked by a blue ribbon panel, who culled hundreds of nominations down to the final listing. They represent not only the best of what they do, but the present and future leaders of our state, who work for the good of us all. As the state’s leading publication focused on the business, community and policy, AMP is proud to shine a bright spotlight on these outstanding achievers and their accomplishments.
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Shannon Newton
President
Arkansas Trucking Association
Shannon Newton is the president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. She has been with ATA since 2003. During her tenure, Newton has filled a range of roles in the development and implementation of initiatives that include strategic planning, finance, member services, governance, and public and government relations. In 2018, she was recognized by the American Trucking Associations with the President’s Trucking Association Executives Council Leadership Award for her regional and national advocacy efforts. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson tapped Newton for various transportation posts, including his working group on highway funding in 2019, the Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force in 2020 and the Council on Future Mobility in 2022. Newton served as chair of the Vote for Roads committee that successfully campaigned to pass a half-cent sales tax in 2020. More recently, Newton served on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ working group to prevent human trafficking in Arkansas. Newton currently serves as chair of the Trucking Association’s executive council, which is the federation of state trucking association executives from across the country affiliated with the American Trucking Associations. Newton also serves on governing or advisory boards for the following groups: the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, the Arkansas Self-Insurers Association, Be Pro Be Proud, Arkansas State University Three Rivers in Malvern, the University of Central Arkansas College of Business in Conway and Project Zero, a nonprofit that raises awareness about adoption from foster care. In 2022, Newton was named to the Transportation Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to provide valuable feedback on the economic conditions of the trucking industry.
