Michael J. Riley is retiring from his post as the president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut after 29 years.

Riley, who is turning 69 this year, was hired by the association when he was 40 years old after spending the first part of his career working in state government. He worked for Senator Chris Dodd and served as a lobbyist in the Connecticut legislature.

When he joined the state trucking association, he was hired for his experience with legislation, rather than his ties to trucking, says Riley.

“I’m a translator,” said Riley. “I translate between trucking and legislature and from legislature back to trucking.”

Among his career highlights was successfully lobbying for a property tax exemption for business owners in Connecticut which made a big difference to trucking in the state, says Riley. In his time with the association, he gained a tremendous amount of respect for truckers.

“The guys that I work for give a damn,” said Riley. “I have really enjoyed my career with truckers, they do important work.”

After retirement, Riley would like to keep lobbying, with plans to take on a few issues already and continue working

“It’s been a great career,” said Riley. “I’ve been proud to represent truckers and hopefully leave them better than I found them.”