The scholarship will be managed and offered through the OTA Education Foundation and awarded annually using criteria established by the Foundation in conjunction with Omnitracs.
“Mike played a significant role in the progression of the Canadian trucking industry for nearly 30 years. He had a passion for people and an unmatched ability to serve the needs of customers. In addition to being a leader, mentor, and trusted advisor, he was also a caring and compassionate friend,” said Ray Greer, CEO of Omnitracs. “Mike will always be remembered for his commitment and dedication to serve the Canadian trucking community. On behalf of the Omnitracs family, we’re honored to establish this scholarship in memory of a man who gave so much to an industry he loved.”
Mike always believed in doing the right thing and constantly reminded those around him to “take the high road”. While he will be greatly missed by all who knew him, the legacy he left behind will last for years to come.
To complement the announcement of the scholarship, Three of Mike’s friends and industry peers – Norm Sneyd, Dan Einwechter and Scott Smith – joined the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Dispatches podcast to reminisce about Mike’s amazing life, his impact on the industry and the value of having champions like Mike support the Alliance. Listen or download the podcast on iTunes, Google Play or Soundcloud.
In recognition of the impact Mike had, several close industry friends topped up Omnitracs’s contribution to the fund to meet the Foundation’s minimum requirement for endowed scholarships.
“Mike was very big on education and believed in young people,” said Sneyd, who recently retired as VP of business development with Bison Transport. “Mike realized that young folks were the new leaders and it was important to mentor, coach, and value them along their respective journeys.”
Mike would be thrilled knowing he was instrumental in helping young people pursue their education goals as a result of this scholarship, added Einwechter, CEO of Challenger Motor Freight.
“Establishing a scholarship in Mike’s memory is an extremely fitting way to honour him. Mike understood the value of a post-secondary education and loved taking new grads to the next level of learning.”
Those who would like to make a donation to the Foundation in Mike’s memory can contact Betsy Sharples, executive director of the OTA Education Foundation at info@otaef.com.Mike was the 2018 recipient of the prestigious OTA-Omnitracs Service to Industry Award. Click here to see the commemorative video.