CALGARY, Alta. – In a surprising development, the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) is once again searching for new leadership. AMTA president Wayne Pedersen told Truck West that executive director Kim Royal is no longer with the association because “basically at the board we looked at where we’ve been, where we are today and where we want to go and he didn’t fit into those plans.”

Just one day prior to this development, Spencer Hempstock, the association’s manager of injury reduction and training was let go. Hempstock worked out of the AMTA’s Edmonton office. Pedersen said the two decisions weren’t directly related.

He also told Truck West the search for Royal’s replacement is now underway. In the meantime, member inquiries should be directed to the association’s office at 403-243-4161.

“We at the AMTA are looking forward to serving our membership and facing new challenges in 2005. Our continuing goal is to represent the highway transportation industry in a responsible manner and remain accountable to our membership,” Pedersen said in members release.

He then told Truck West “We have a great staff and we’re looking forward to providing a better product to our members in the future.”

Royal was named executive director of the AMTA in January, 2002 when he replaced interim leader Sharon Johnson. She was filling in for former executive director Lane Kranenburg, who resigned from the post due to health reasons.

In a recent interview with Truck West, Royal was asked what the association’s main accomplishments were while under his watch.

“The most important item is the coming of age of AMTA as an organization,” he responded. “Although the process was started before I joined AMTA, the amalgamation of ATA and ATISA has meant merging cultures together so the new organization functions as a single entity. We are farther down the path today than we were two years ago and we will continue to see improvements as time passes.”