TORONTO — J.D. Smith and Sons Limited has established the Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship as a reward to a student who shows leadership qualities while making a positive contribution to their community.

The Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship will be awarded annually and is funded by an endowed fund administered by the Ontario Trucking Association Education Foundation. The scholarship will recognize a student each year who demonstrates a commitment to their community, school or other volunteer undertaking through exemplary leadership qualities.

The scholarship has been established in the memory of Doug Smith, who led the integrated third-party distribution and logistic service provider from a two-truck operation to a 100 power-unit outfit by his retirement in 1994.

“We feel honored to be able to award this scholarship to one individual each year who has used his or her leadership attributes to attain personal success as well to enhance his/her community or school,” says the third-generation J.D. Smith and Sons president Scott Smith. “My father, Douglas Smith, was respected by many of his contemporaries as an industry leader. Not only was he the president of the company his father founded in 1919 for 40 years, he was instrumental in establishing the current day Toronto Trucking Association and was very involved with the Ontario Trucking Association.”

Doug Smith served as chairman of the OTA form 1985 to 1987, and was recognized in 1982 with the Trailmobile Service to Industry Award for his commitment, vision and leadership in the Ontario trucking industry.

The Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship will be awarded to an Ontario university student who is the child of a parent employed or contracted on a full-time basis in the trucking industry.