ALEXANDRIA, VA- Serving as the Truck Rental and Leasing Association's (TRALA) acting president and chief executive officer since July, Thomas James has been unanimously chosen by the Board of Directors for the role. 

TRALA is a national trade association representing every major truck renting and leasing company and truck leasing system operating in North America.

James has spent his 24-year career in a range of public and private sector positions working on legislative and regulatory issues. Prior to his current responsibilities, he was TRALA's senior vice president of Government Relations. He was responsible for leading the successful advocacy efforts of TRALA on behalf of the industry, including the multi-year effort that culminated in the nationwide elimination of vicarious liability for owners of rented and leased vehicles. Before joining TRALA in 2002, James served as senior vice president of the Furman Group and represented clients on a wide range of issues focusing on infrastructure and natural resources.

Tom Thayer, TRALA's chairman, said James was an excellent selection for TRALA based on his dedication and professionalism in pursuing industry-wide priorities as vice president of Government Relations. In his new leadership capacity at TRALA, he will be particularly well positioned to affect the critical issues being debated in Washington, D.C., as well as other state capitols that impact the industry, said Thayer.

"It is an honor to be named president and chief executive officer of TRALA," James said. "TRALA's central mission of advocacy on behalf of the industry will continue to be the association's number one priority. The vehicle renting and leasing industry will face many new challenges over the coming years. I am ready to begin working with our members and Board of Directors to meet these challenges and advance such issues as protecting the industry from unfair fees and taxes, overly burdensome lease accounting standards and attacks on the federal law repealing vicarious liability enacted several years ago," he said.

Based in Alexandria, Va., TRALA is a voluntary, non-profit national trade association working to provide a unified and focused voice for the truck renting and leasing industry. Membership includes more than 500 leasing and rental firms and 120 suppliers that make up nearly the entire truck renting and leasing industry.