Feb. 2, 2005, Grain Valley, MO - The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) announces two new staff appointments to its Washington, DC, government affairs office. Joining the nation's largest representative organization for professional truckers are Michael P. Joyce and Melissa M. Theriault. Both Mr. Joyce and Ms. Theriault will be responsible for contributing to the association's lobbying and legislative activities.

Mr. Joyce was most recently chief of staff in the office of U.S. Representative Mac Collins, R-GA, who is a member of the Ways and Means, Select Intelligence, and Budget Committees. Mr. Joyce also brings considerable transportation experience gained during his previous position as legislative director for former U.S. Representative Bud Shuster, R-PA, who served as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during his terms in office. Mr. Joyce is a graduate of Gettysburg College in management and political science.

Melissa Theriault joins OOIDA after several years of Capitol Hill experience as a House of Representatives legislative staff assistant to both the majority subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Ms. Theriault is a public relations and political science graduate of the University of Miami.

Contact: Todd Spencer, executive vice president, OOIDA (800) 444-5791

Founded in 1973, OOIDA is composed of more than 120,000 owner-operators, professional drivers, and small business truckers from all 50 states, and Canada. With its national headquarters in Grain Valley, MO, OOIDA represents the interests of the nation's more than 350,000 small-business trucking professionals in the legislative and regulatory processes at both federal and state levels.