Suzanne Thornburg Named Chair of the Trailways Board of Directors
Trailways Transportation System is pleased to announce that Suzanne Thornburg, President & CEO of Capital and Colonial Trailways, has been elected Chair of the Trailways Board of Directors. She succeeds Robert Brisman of West Point Trailways.
Thornburg has played a key leadership role within the Trailways organization for many years, most recently serving as the Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Trailways Board and as a member of the Trailways Executive Committee. She has also been active in advancing the motorcoach industry through her service on the American Bus Association (ABA) Board of Directors and ABA Foundation Board, as well as ABA’s Women in Buses Council, and membership in the United Motorcoach Association (UMA), and the Alabama Motorcoach Association (AMA).
Thornburg became involved in the day-to-day operations of Capital and Colonial Trailways in April 2019, after holding a seat on the companies’ Board of Directors since 2011. She stepped into full-time leadership less than one year before the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the bus industry.
Capital and Colonial Trailways are fifth-generation family-owned Trailways member companies, and Thornburg continues the legacy of leadership started by her late ex-husband, Frank Montgomery III’s family over 95 years ago. Her four adult children now represent the fifth generation of family ownership, with her son Frank Montgomery IV serving as Vice President of the companies.
Capital and Colonial Trailways operate from three Alabama locations — Montgomery, Madison/Huntsville, and Mobile — and provide charter and scheduled-service transportation across the Southeast and beyond. Together, the companies boast nearly two centuries of combined operational history, with Capital celebrating 95 years and Colonial celebrating 90 years of motorcoach business in 2025.
As Chair of the Trailways Board, Thornburg will help guide the network’s continued focus on strong advocacy, safety, education, positive growth, and innovation across the motorcoach industry.
