NAFA Connection

As a result of the recent change in NAFA's bylaws (see notice elsewhere in this issue of FleetFOCUS), I received several inquiries from people who were curious about how to get nominated for national office in the association.  I am happy to provide an overview here.  For a very detailed explanation, please download the "Policy for Nominations & Elections" document from www.nafa.org under the "About NAFA" tab in the 'Bylaws & Board Policies' section.

To run for national office in NAFA, a person must meet certain qualifications.  First, the person must be a Member in good standing, or an Affiliate in good standing if running for the Affiliate Trustee seat.  Next, the person must have served recent time on the NAFA Board Governors.  Specifically:

• To be eligible for election as a Trustee, the person must have served at least two years out of the immediately prior four years as a Member of the Board of Governors.
• To be eligible to serve as a Vice President, the person must have served on the Board of Trustees for at least two years out of the prior four years. 
• To be considered for Senior Vice President, the person must be an incumbent Vice President or must be a former Vice President who has served at least one full year within the last three years.
• To be eligible to run for Secretary or Treasurer, the person must be a Member or Associate Member in good standing, with preference given to an individual who has served time on the national Board of Governors.

If the above qualifications are met, the individual who wishes to run for office must submit a Candidate Consideration Form to the Nominating Committee by a set deadline, usually some time in early Fall.  The form must be submitted by the person who wishes to be considered for office; no one can nominate another person. The form asks for details about employment history, service to NAFA, reasons for wanting to hold office, and other related information. 

In late Fall, the Nominating Committee meets face-to-face to review and discuss every Candidate Consideration form.  There are no personal interviews with candidates and campaigning for office is strictly prohibited.  The Nominating Committee selects, based on a majority vote of the committee, the best candidate for each of the 12 seats on the Board of Trustees.  Those candidates not selected are so notified and then have the ability to run for office by petition.  Only those who submitted Candidate Consideration Forms but were not selected by the Nominating Committee may run by petition, following the procedures spelled out for that process.

For example, for the 2010-2011 term, the Nominating Committee reviewed 16 Candidate Consideration Forms for the 12 Officer and Trustee positions. Gayle Pratt, chair of the committee, notified all candidates who submitted forms of the committee's determination, alerting those not selected that they will have up to 120 days prior to the NAFA Annual Business Meeting to submit Nominations by Petition if they so choose. 

If there is a contested election for any seat, ballots will be sent to all eligible members no later than 90 days prior to the Annual Business Meeting.  If there are no contested elections, the NAFA Secretary will cast one vote in favor of each the Nominating Committee's selections.  Elected leaders will take office at the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, April 24, 2010.

I hope this demystifies this important function and sheds some light on the subject for you.  If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email me at prusso@nafa.org.

The Nominating Committee has completed its work in forming the ballot of Officers and Trustees for election in 2010.  The candidates chosen are:

President................................. Christopher Amos, CAFM
Senior Vice President............... Doug Weichman, CAFM
Vice President......................... Claude Masters, CAFM
Vice President......................... Marvin Fletcher, CAFM
Vice President for Canada........ Kate Vigneau, CAFM
Secretary................................ Ruth Alfson, CAFM
Treasurer ............................... Bryan Flansburg, CAFM
Trustee – Western Region........ Delwin Peacock
Trustee – Central Region.......... Sheryl Grossman
Trustee – Eastern Region......... Jeff Jeter
Trustee-Past President............ Gayle Pratt
Trustee – Affiliate..................... Matt Betz

The Nominating Committee reviewed 16 Candidate Consideration forms for the 12 Officer and Trustee positions. All candidates who submitted Candidate Consideration Forms were notified of the committee's selections. Candidates not selected will have up to 120 days prior to the NAFA Annual Business Meeting  to submit Nominations by Petition if they so choose.

If there is a contested election for any seat, ballots will be sent no later than 90 days prior to NAFA's Annual Business Meeting.  If there are no contested elections, the NAFA Secretary will cast one vote in favor of each the Nominating Committee's selections.  Elected leaders will take office at the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, April 24, 2010. Nominating Committee members include Mark Bellamy, CAFM; Mike Camnetar, CAFM;  J.J. Keig, CAFM; Bridget Clark; Tom Krause; and Chris Hill.

Join us at the FMS (February 24 - 25) and AFMS (February 26 - 28) at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada. Whether you are new to the fleet industry or a seasoned professional, NAFA provides you with the best education and the latest information.

Fleet Management Seminar
February 24 - 25, 2010

If you are a fleet professional, are you new to fleet? Have less than 5 years of experience? This course is a great stepping stone in advancing your knowledge and understanding of the dynamic fleet industry. Interactive, and a must for fleet professionals, the Fleet Management Seminar offers you answers. www.nafa.org/fms.

• Network with fleet colleagues on an international level.
• Ask questions to help you address your specific projects.
• Share in this interactive and intense classroom environment.

Register at www.nafa.org/exams.  To reserve your seat online, click here. For more details about FMS, please visit www.nafa.org/fms.

Advanced Fleet Management Seminar
February 26 - 28, 2010

At NAFA's Advanced Fleet Management Seminar, you will solve problems and discuss new ideas with NAFA's most experienced and knowledgeable expert instructors. This intense, upper-level course immerses you in the major concepts of fleet management. This seminar covers the eight discipline modules of fleet management for both the public service and commercial sectors.

• An intense, upper-level course.
• Eight interactive sessions covering disciplines in-depth.
• A great study tool for the CAFM or CAFS exam.
• Learn from the experts themselves.

To reserve your seat online, click here. For more details about AFMS, please visit www.nafa.org/afms.

The hotel for the FMS and AFMS is the M Resort in Nevada. For more information on group rates, making reservations, and transportation, visit the hotel accommodations page.

Attention CAFM/CAFS Participants: AFMS is the best study tool out there. Who better to learn from than the experts themselves? These expert, seasoned instructors will provide insight, answers, and individual attention, along with a Q&A at the end of each session. After the seminar, take your CAFM or CAFS exam with ease.

"The AFMS is the single biggest help that NAFA will offer to help CAFM and CAFS candidates master the difficult concepts in the curriculum." -- NAFA President Christopher Amos, CAFM, Commissioner of Equipment Services, City of St. Louis.

Reserve your seat for NAFA's Fleet Management Seminar, Advanced Fleet Management Seminar, or our package deal for both seminars! Register by January 31 and save with our early bird pricing. Visit www.nafa.org/fms.

Corporate Workshop, offered Saturday, April 24, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., will get you involved in a roundtable discussion involving the most current issues impacting your fleet.  Share with and learn what other fleet managers are doing to address vehicle ordering, rising costs, prevent vehicle accidents, etc. Topics for discussion are determined by attendees.

Pharmaceutical Workshop, offered Saturday, April 24, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., is designed specifically for pharmaceutical fleet managers and staff in gaining unsurpassed knowledge from peer companies. The workshop will entail a review of the most recent NAFA pharmaceutical benchmark results and an open forum where attendees can ask questions of fleet administrators and managers in a closed-door setting.

Canadian Workshop, offered Saturday, April 24, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., is a roundtable session that will focus on Canadian-specific concerns on various aspects of fleet management business while offering attendees the opportunity to mingle with peers. The ultimate goal of this discussion will be to reach solutions for common problems.

New federal government reimbursement rates for the use of privately owned vehicles while on official business became effective January 1, the U.S. General Services Administration announced.

The 2010 privately owned vehicle reimbursement rates are:

• Automobile - $0.50/mile
• Motorcycle - $0.47/mile
• Airplane - $1.29/mile

Developed by GSA in consultation with the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, and government employees' union representatives, the rates reflect an extensive market-based analysis of the cost of operating privately owned automobiles, motorcycles, and airplanes used for government business.

GSA is mandated by law not to exceed the single standard mileage rate for automobiles established by the Internal Revenue Service. For further information about the 2010 privately owned vehicle reimbursement rates and how they are determined, visit www.gsa.gov/mileage.

Higher sales in every product category and for every brand propelled Ford to a 33 percent sales increase in December versus a year ago.

Ford cars were up 42 percent, crossovers were up 51 percent, sport utilities were up 33 percent, and trucks and vans were up 18 percent. Among brands, Ford sales were up 37 percent, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent, and Mercury sales were up 6 percent.

"Ford's plan is working," said Ken Czubay, Ford Vice President, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. "Customer consideration continues to grow for our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2010, we will introduce an even higher number of new products, giving customers more reasons to Drive One."

Every consumer metric about the Ford brand – including favorable opinion, consideration, shopping, and intention to buy – ended the year at record levels. In fact, favorable opinion is up more than 20 percent from the beginning of the year, and intention to buy Ford increased more than 30 percent. Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury December sales totaled 179,017, up 33 percent versus a year ago. Full-year sales totaled 1.62 million, down 15 percent.

Ford estimates its full-year 2009 U.S. total market share was about 15 percent – about 1 percentage point higher than in 2008. This marks the company's first full-year U.S. market share increase since 1995. Ford also has improved its retail market share 14 times in the last 15 months.

Manheim Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations Mike Broe today applauded the widespread adoption of the newly-revised National Auto Auction Association (NAAA) policy by other NAAA members.

Manheim has supported the Association's arbitration policy since its inception, and Manheim Vice President for Strategic Initiatives David Munnikhuysen served on the NAAA committee that helped develop the new standards. Munnikhuysen was a featured speaker at the NAAA convention last month, detailing the new policy to members.

"We're delighted that ADESA and others have joined Manheim in coming together to support the arbitration policy that NAAA has worked so hard to create," said Broe. "Manheim will continue to support the policy, and we know that our customers will appreciate the level of consistency that comes with industry-wide adoption of the policy. Our teams at each of our locations have been trained on this policy, and we encourage customers to feel free to ask questions on their next auction visit."

NAAA President David Angelicchio said the policy is intended to increase confidence among buyers and sellers at auction by reducing the confusion that came with different arbitration policies at different locations.

"What we're striving for is a simple, fair, and consistent process that all remarketing industry participants can expect no matter where they do business in-lane and online," said Angelicchio. "Manheim's involvement in developing the new arbitration policy was instrumental, and we're especially pleased to see the industry as a whole step up to support this policy. As we start a new year, this is a significant development for buyers, sellers, and auctions."

Manheim's adoption of the policy, as of January 1, 2010, is in line with its mission to make the remarketing process as seamless as possible for its customers by ensuring accuracy and consistency across all physical locations and online channels.

As part of this effort, Manheim recently introduced a new section on its website where customers can find information on all of its policies in one place: www.manheimresources.com/policies. In addition to details on the NAAA arbitration policy, the page includes location-specific guidelines and information on Manheim's national buy-back policy, post-sale inspection policy and more.

LeasePlan USA, a leader in vehicle leasing and fleet management solutions, announced the promotion of Tim Martin to the role of Senior Vice President, Operations, effective January 1, 2010.  Martin will be a part of the company's executive management team and will report directly to President and CEO Mike Pitcher.

Martin will assume responsibility for all of LeasePlan's operations. In this position, he will be responsible for the management of vehicle acquisition, vehicle upfitting, remarketing, license, title, and registration. He also manages vendor relations and strategic consultations. In this new role, he will oversee the maintenance and repair contact center located in the company's Rolling Meadows, Illinois, office as well.

Martin joined LeasePlan in August of 2005 as Director, Remarketing, and was later promoted to his current role as Vice President, Atlanta Operations. He brings more than two decades of automotive experience to this role, including leadership roles with Saab Cars USA, Inc., Saab Financial Services Corp., Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. and General Motors Acceptance Corp.  Martin was recently named to Auto Remarketing magazine's "Who's Who: Top Fleet Lease and Rental Executives."

Networkfleet announced that Keith Schneider has been promoted to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Networkfleet, Inc. In this expanded role, Schneider will continue to oversee all company operations as well as be more externally focused on activities involving customer and investor relations.

Schneider joined Networkfleet in April 2007 as President. Under Schneider's leadership, the company has invested in and built out the infrastructure needed to scale the business and grow rapidly. In 2009, Networkfleet surpassed 100,000 subscriber vehicles in the United States. The company rebranded itself from Networkcar to Networkfleet in 2008 to reflect its focus on the commercial and government fleet market. The company also moved into new, larger headquarters to accommodate its current and future growth.

Prior to Networkfleet, Schneider served as Vice President of Indirect Distribution for Sprint Nextel Communications, where he was responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of key programs and policies supporting Nextel's local and national third party indirect channels. Schneider began his Nextel career as a General Manager in Southern California, launching and building one of Nextel's first and largest markets. Schneider is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, with a bachelor of science in international marketing, and holds a masters of arts in management from John F. Kennedy University.

Ford Motor Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are embarking on a plan to study driver workload and identify new opportunities to use in-vehicle technologies to improve driver safety by lowering stress.

Partnering with MIT's renowned AgeLab, the project will identify specific stress-inducing driving situations, monitor a driver's reaction to the situations using biometrics, and evaluate methods to incorporate new stress-reducing features into the next generation of Ford products. A six-month effort beginning this January will focus on human interaction with a specially equipped 2010 Lincoln MKS, a vehicle already recognized for its advanced safety features.

Ford and MIT's AgeLab -- in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation's New England University Transportation Center -- have been working to develop vehicle systems that detect the state of a driver at key points in time. This project envisions using this information to adjust systems in the car in ways that reduce driver stress. One of the goals of this work is to help the driver recapture the wellness experience that driving once promised.

By monitoring biometrics such as heart rate, skin conductivity, and eye movement, researchers at MIT have been working to develop a specific set of parameters for an embedded detection system that could be engineered into future Ford vehicles.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) will co-sponsor the first-ever national conference on sleep apnea and commercial motor vehicle drivers on May 12, 2010.

Obstructed sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which an individual's airway is blocked while he or she is sleeping, typically resulting in frequent breathing interruptions lasting from 10 seconds to more than a minute at a time, loud snoring, and non-restorative sleep. 

"It is important that the trucking industry actively engages in improving the quality of life and the performance of our drivers," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Professional truck drivers play a vital role in delivering our nation's freight." The conference, hosted by the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), will feature presentations and panel discussions that focus on providing a common understanding of OSA diagnosis and treatment, clarifying current and proposed regulations, establishing an ongoing forum of experts to generate guidance for improvements, and providing trucking management with the resources to improve employee health and safety.

"The trucking industry continues to grapple with the tough questions and issues surrounding screening and treatment for sleep apnea," said Dave Osiecki, ATA Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations. "This event is a significant step forward, and we encourage industry stakeholders to participate."

The one-day conference will be held at the Westin Baltimore Washington - BWI in Baltimore, Maryland, and is preceded by a reception and keynote address from National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman on May 11, 2010.  For more information, visit the ASAA conference website at www.satc2010.org.

FMCSA Raises Safety Requirements for New Truck and Bus Companies

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has begun enforcement of its New Entrant Safety Assurance Process rule, which requires newly registered truck and bus companies to meet stricter safety requirements. This final rule raises the compliance standards for passing new entrant safety audits and requires that new carriers correct safety deficiencies before being granted permanent registration.
 
Under the new requirements, a newly registered truck or bus company will automatically fail its safety audit if violations of any one of 16 essential federal regulations are discovered. These regulations cover controlled substances and alcohol testing, hours-of-service rules, driver qualifications, vehicle condition, and carrier insurance responsibility.
 
Failure to pass a new entrant safety audit may result in revocation of a carrier's registration, unless that carrier takes corrective action within a time period established by FMCSA. Additionally, if certain violations are discovered during roadside inspections, the new carrier may be subject to an expedited safety audit or a compliance review that can result in fines or an out-of-service order.

Action Needed to Restore Biodiesel Tax Credit

The biodiesel tax incentive expired on December 31, 2009. Although the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, the Senate did not take up any legislation prior to their adjournment.

Looking forward, the House is schedule to return on January 11, and the Senate is scheduled to reconvene on the 19th.

NAFA is working with the National Biodiesel Board to urge fleets to reach out immediately to your U.S. Senators regarding the need to extend the expired biodiesel tax incentive.

Click here to review NBB talking points for calls with U.S. Senate offices.

Click here to get the contact information for your U.S. Senator.

White House and DOT Act on Distracted Driving

The Department of Transportation has launched a new website and advertising campaign to prod motorists into avoiding "distracted driving." The website, www.distraction.gov, collects facts about the dangers of drivers not paying attention while driving.

Meanwhile, President Obama signed an executive order that went into effect the last week of December.  The president's order bars 4 million federal workers from sending text messages while driving government vehicles. The directive also applies to privately owned vehicles, if the employee is on official business. The president's order encourages federal contractors and others doing business with the government to adopt and enforce their own policies banning employees from texting while driving on the job.

An updated version of the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model – MOVES2010 – is now available for use to estimate air pollution from cars, trucks, and other on-road mobile sources. The model also can calculate the emissions reduction benefits from a range of mobile source control strategies, such as inspection and maintenance programs and local fuel standards.

EPA will soon publish a Federal Register notice approving MOVES2010 for meeting official state implementation plan and transportation conformity requirements. The MOVES2010 model replaces EPA's MOBILE6.2 emissions factor model.

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to update regularly the way it calculates mobile source emissions. EPA is continuously collecting data and conducting emissions studies to assess the air quality impacts of on-road vehicles. As a result of using data collected from millions of cars and trucks gathered since MOBILE6.2 was released in 2004, MOVES2010 provides increased accuracy in emissions inventory results.

For the first time, the model can estimate emissions on a range of scales from national emissions impacts down to the impacts of individual transportation projects. Another improvement is the ability to express output as either total mass (in tons, pounds, kilograms, or grams) or as emissions factors (grams-per-mile, and in some cases, grams-per-vehicle). These changes to how EPA approaches mobile source emissions modeling are based, in part, upon recommendations made to the agency by the National Academy of Sciences.

The United Recyclers Group (URG) says that the federal government is not doing enough to help promote the green aspects of the auto salvage industry and encourage the use of environmentally-friendly green auto parts.

Cash For Clunkers (C4C) has resulted in a number of unanticipated problems for the nation's auto salvage industry. With 690,000 cars sold during the brief run of the C4C (otherwise known as CARS) program, and an equal number traded in and scrapped, a "tsunami of steel" has hit the industry. A number of unexpected delays by the federal government and a shortened run time for the CARS program have meant less processing time for recyclers. There are still serious issues, despite the recent announcement of a 90-day extension to the 180-day deadline (making 270 days total) for processing all of the scrapped C4C vehicles.

"URG has requested and continues to fully support a minimum six-month extension of the CARS program processing deadline mandated by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). We need at least a full year to do this job right. The recent 90-day extension is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't go far enough.  So with no increase in demand, we are simply looking at an increase in our costs, and it isn't reasonable or fair to auto recyclers. Auto recyclers are hardworking small businessmen and women, very much tied to their communities, and can be found in every congressional district in America. Just because they don't have the lobbying clout of the 'Big Three' in Washington doesn't mean their needs and concerns don't matter when new programs like C4C are created," said Michelle Alexander, Executive Director of the United Recyclers Group.

"Cash For Clunkers started as a billion dollar program that was going to run until November 1, 2009," says Greg Wilcox, Co-owner and President of Midway Auto Parts (Kansas City, MO), and a URG Manager. "Six months to process the clunkers traded in made sense. But then congress tripled the size of the program, it all came and went in a matter of weeks, instead of months, and then NHTSA finally got around to a small adjustment, less than what anyone in this industry has asked for, of the processing deadline even as they tripled the size of the program. This oversight creates huge problems for the auto recycling industry, because there is no money to support our extra costs -- such as more staff, more space, and more inventory carrying costs -- incurred because we now have to meet an unrealistic deadline."

John Fischl, President of Riteway Auto Parts (Phoenix, AZ) and a URG manager, says, "Cash for Clunkers was all about being green and stimulating the economy. All of those good intentions backfire when auto recycling, one of the nation's greenest industries, and this country's 13th largest, is impacted in a way that hurts our profitability and causes us to be less green as we scramble to meet an artificial deadline."

Automotive Resources International (ARI) announced the retirement of President Bill McKee effective July 31, 2010.

McKee has been a NAFA Affiliate since October 2005. He started at ARI in 1992 as Executive Vice President and became President in 1998. During his tenure, ARI grew rapidly and is now ranked number two in the industry in fleet size and number one in customer service. McKee initiated ARI's formal strategic planning program, and today, it serves as a roadmap for future growth.

"Bill has laid the foundation on which ARI will continue to build," commented Mindy Holman, President and CEO, Holman Enterprises, parent company of ARI, "His leadership, keen business sense, and tactical capabilities will be sorely missed."

McKee will assume the role of CEO as of January 1, 2010, through his retirement date.

Holman also announced the promotion of Carl Ortell to President effective January 1, 2010. Ortell started his career with Holman Enterprises as an internal auditor in June 1986.  He transferred to ARI in 1987 and has served in numerous operations and financial positions, most recently as Executive Vice President and COO. In his new role, Ortell will assume responsibility for all ARI operations throughout North America and Europe.

After 10 years of service to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board and more than 30 years of Fleet Management, NAFA Member James Green retired on December 24, 2009. 

Green served in the Air Force for 22 years, and worked in State Government and the Insurance Industry before coming to DFW Airport.  During his tenure at the airport, he spearheaded the effort to convert the fleet to near 100 percent Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled engines, established a vehicle replacement policy, formalized a Fleet Management program, directed the implementation of a Fleet Information System, served as Mentor, and provided a wealth of knowledge to his staff and co-workers. 

According to his employer, "Mr. Green was a strong proponent for NAFA and developed many friendships within the organization.  His informed guidance and leadership reflects the Lord he serves, and he will truly be missed."

Although the past year has been very tough economically across all business sectors, the North Central NAFA Chapter focused its Annual Holiday Event as a celebration of our important role in the community and helped raise more than $2,000 for Bridging Inc., a local charity.

The December 8 event brought fleet management professionals and NAFA Affiliates together at Best Buy Corporate in Richfield, Minnesota. Participants enjoyed a luncheon and brief presentations from Best Buy Executive  Rosa Hakala and a heartfelt message from Ron Osterbauer and Fran Heitzman (founder) representing Bridging Inc., our 2009 charitable donation choice.

Bridging serves approximately 115 households a week and operates with a small paid staff of 26 employees. They rely upon more than 6,000 individual and group volunteers who donate more than 90,000 hours annually.

Featured speaker Mark Kartarik, EVP / President of Regis Corporation's Franchise Division, provided the presentation, "Being an 8-Track in an IPod World." Special thanks went to Jason Pucely, Best Buy Fleet Manager, for hosting and coordinating the event at their corporate headquarters.  The use of their conference facility allowed the NC Chapter Board to donate the site fees to Bridging Inc.

Something about the holiday season just seems to bring out the best in everyone, with the New Jersey NAFA Chapter leading the way. Attendees of the December Holiday Meeting & Fleet Fair were asked to bring, if they were able, some items to support the charity of choice, Jersey Cares. The New Jersey-based charity established a "First Night Kit Program" that assembles supplies for domestic violence shelters, transitional housing facilities, runaway safe havens, foster homes, and other agencies with transitional populations in need of hygiene items on the first night of their stay.  Due to the generosity of NAFA Members, guests and all of our vendors we were able to collect enough items to help many families in troubled times.
 
The meeting on December 8, 2009, opened with a very special guest speaker, the voice of the World Champion New York Yankees, Michael Kay.  Whether you are a Yankees, Mets, or (dare we say) Red Sox fan, Kay could not have been more generous and friendly.  He shared his experiences, knowledge, and up-to-the minute Hot Stove reports. He also revealed his incredible journey on how he reached the pinnacle of his career, the amazing guests he interviews on YES network, and what he thinks the Yankees need to do to win another World Series next year. Nothing was off limits. "A conversation with Michael Kay" was truly the highlight of the evening.  A special thanks goes out to Rich Maksym and Mercedes Benz for sponsoring his appearance.  

What truly makes this annual meeting such a special event is the support from our vendors.  Everyone from leasing companies, car manufacturers, vehicle relocation services, and repair and parts facilities all took  time away from their busy schedules to celebrate the holidays and partake in one of the New Jersey  NAFA Chapter's most celebrated event of the year.  Fleet managers are facing many new challenges now more than ever. The annual Holiday Meeting & Fleet Fair provided the perfect occasion for Members to network with colleagues, vendors, and friends to share experiences and ideas to meet the challenges ahead of us going into 2010. 

The evening ended with a raffle of wonderful gifts donated by our many generous vendors. Those who were able to donate to the "First Night Kit Program" were given the chance to win one or more of these great prizes. In the end, the real winners were the recipients of the care packages, thanks to the New Jersey Chapter and all who participated. 

This year's New Jersey Chapter Holiday Meeting & Fleet Fair was a huge success thanks to everyone who attended. Although we say goodbye to the challenges of 2009, we can look forward with great expectancy to a wonderful 2010.

By: William Forsythe, ADP, Inc.

The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter recently toured the Rosedale Technical Institute to see how technicians are trained for today's job market.  The Chapter's Members also got a preview of the Institute's diesel drag racing program.

FleetFOCUS encourages Members to submit news and photographs from their recent chapter meetings and events for the new "Inside NAFA" section of the newsletter.   Please e-mail your information to Tina Perrotta at tperrotta@nafa.org for possible inclusion in the newsletter.  NAFA cannot guarantee information sent to us will be published, but we will try to include as much as possible.

Driver Transportation Options Print & e-Download

This 154-page compilation of information was developed for a manager's review and evaluation of providing business transportation to employees (an updated version of the former Driver Reimbursement Option). Order Today!

NAFA provides space in each issue of the FleetFOCUS for companies and organizations to advertise career opportunities in the fleet industry. Members also can market themselves to potential employers. If you're interested in this opportunity, make your listings 200 words or fewer. Links to complete job descriptions on the company's website are suggested. Please note all of the materials a candidate must supply to be considered for the position (e.g., resume, salary history, municipal application, etc.). To take advantage of this service, e-mail your ad to Patrick McCarren at pmccarren@nafa.org.

Assistant Director - Houston, TX

Fleet Manager - Pitkin County, CO

Manager, Fleet - Washington, DC

Director, Fleet Operations - Victoria, BC

Resume Bank

NAFA is going one step further to help those in the industry gain employment. For a small fee, NAFA will send resumes to any prospective employer who places an ad on the Career Network Section of the NAFA website. For a small cost, employers will be provided with new, up-to-date resumes that fit the job.

There is still no charge to submit a resume to the resume bank. To be included in the resume bank, please send a current version of your resume to Maureen Smith, NAFA, Inc., 125 Village Blvd., Suite 200, Princeton, NJ 08540, or fax it to 609-452-8004. Resumes also can be e-mailed to Maureen Smith at msmith@nafa.org. 

A few tips and reminders: If you would like to include a generic cover letter to be sent to potential employers, please include that as part of your resume. Make sure your home address, home phone or cell phone, and personal e-mail address are included on your resume. Potential employers will contact you directly.  NAFA has a number of fleet-related job openings on the Jobs Wanted/Available page (click here).

NAFA's local Chapters across Canada and the United States offer Members numerous opportunities to meet colleagues and receive valuable fleet management education. Each year, more than 100 NAFA Chapter meetings provide top-level education and training on a wide variety of timely topics.

January is a busy month:

January 14, 2010
Ontario Chapter - Meeting
Location: Army Officers Mess, Ottawa, ON
Contact: Fran MacKenzie-Peacock, 905.459.1810, fran@bramptonchrysler.com
 
January 19, 2010
North Central Chapter - "Fringe" Benefit of Fleet Vehicles
Location: GE Capital, Eden Prairie, MN
Contact: Leroy Pavek, 507.529.2068, Leroy.pavek@agstar.com

January 20, 2010
New England - State of Chapter Fleet Roundtable
Location: Holiday Inn, Mansfield, MA
Contact: Karen Doyon, 401.757.2214, kdoyon@sperianprotection.com
 
January 21, 2010
NAFA NY Chapter - SAE Meeting
Location: JF Kennedy International Airport
Contact: http://www.nafa.org/Source/SAENAFAJANMeeting.pdf 
 
January 21, 2010
NAFA Midwest Chapter - Omaha Auto Show
Location: Rick’s Boatyard and Cafe, Omaha, NE
Contact: Mike McDonald mike.mcdonald@mosaicinfo.org, 402.896.3884
 
January 22, 2010
Michigan Chapter North American International Auto Show and Business Meeting
Location: Compuware Headquarters, Detroit, MI
Contact: Steven Pederson, steven.pederson@vpsiinc.com, 248.597.3522
 
January 28, 2010
Pacific Northwest Chapter - Portland Int'l Auto Show
Location: Portland Int'l Auto Show, Oregon Convention Center
Contact: Lance Keith, 541.681.5304 or log onto www.cwcleancities.org
 
January 28, 2010
St. Louis Gateway Chapter Auto Show
Location: Holiday Inn Exress, St. Louis, MO
Contact: Bob Hornsey, RHornsey@stlouisco.com, 314.615.5333

• Preventive maintenance and warranty operations.
• Shop operations.
• Environmental issues.
• Inventory management.
• Benchmarking staff performance.
• Outsourcing.
• Maintenance staffing.
  

• The e-download gives you instant access and portability –- store it virtually anywhere: in your own "NAFA document folder" on your computer or on your flash drive to take with you.
• The CD version offers the same practical abilities as the e-downloadable format and is a product that's ready to be shared with other members of your fleet management team or added to the department's reference shelves.

Fuel Management Guide

Designed with you in mind, the guide will help you understand fuel supply and demand dynamics to better anticipate price changes; understand key fuel standards; and identify appropriate policies, activities, and technologies to improve fuel efficiency. A valuable appendix, comprised of additional references, makes this an "evergreen" learning tool, as links to current websites provide direct access to current information on fuels and pricing, as well as from government authorities, non-profit and Association websites, and manufacturers.

Information is easily accessible, as detailed chapters explore the issues associated with the centralized fuel management of conventional fuels, a variety of tools to fuel decentralized fleets, and alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles, including forms of hybrid drive trains currently available.

The guide is available in three formats to meet your project and budgetary needs:

• The e-download gives you instant access and portability – store it virtually anywhere: in your own "NAFA document folder" on your computer or on your flash drive to take with you.
• The CD version offers the same practical abilities as the e-downloadable format and is a product ready to share with other members of your fleet management team or add to the department's reference shelves.
• The more traditional, spiral-bound, soft-cover book provides easy use, especially when you're sharing references with colleagues. Order today!

As a service to NAFA Members, Patrick O'Connor and Huw Williams -- NAFA's U.S. and Canadian Legislative Counsels, respectively -- supply monthly updates on legislative issues impacting the fleet industry. These updates, e-mailed to NAFA Members the first week of each month, are posted in PDF format in the MEMBERS ONLY SECTION on www.nafa.org.

Legislative updates are issued monthly to NAFA Members and are archived online. With this e-newsletter, NAFA Members can easily check on the progress and status of current legislation. Click here for more information.

Congratulations -- you just got a promotion! Best wishes on your retirement!

Now what do you do?

Remember to notify NAFA about these and other changes. Notifying us will help you in many ways. If you are retiring, you may be eligible to become a NAFA alumnus and stay in touch with your NAFA colleagues and friends. Membership in the NAFA Fleet Management Association will follow you wherever you go, whether you change your position or place of work, or retire.

Just two easy steps can help colleagues keep in touch. To make changes to your membership record: 1) click on "My Profile" on the NAFA homepage and submit changes; or 2) e-mail info@nafa.org.

Three online, searchable networking databases will easily put you in touch with all your NAFA colleagues. These databases are exclusively for NAFA Members. Our three databases help you find:

• Fellow Members and Affiliates based on name, geographic area, or Chapter.
• An expert who has volunteered to answer questions on specific topics that are important to you.
• An Affiliate product or service; you can choose from more than 50 categories.

NAFA's FleetED is designed to help you quickly find the references and educational resources you need now.

From asset management to maintenance management, benchmarking, and shop operations, NAFA's FleetED covers all fleet management disciplines and competencies, making this free website your fast online portal to all fleet management education.
 
Easily look up available resources while scanning an overview of a particular fleet management discipline. Complete a brief self-assessment test, selected by discipline, to confirm your strengths and discover what areas may need a little more concentration. These quizzes provide real-time feedback, with suggested educational content according to your assessment results.

Whether you are looking for something specific or just trying to figure out what you need to know, NAFA's FleetED will guide you to valuable, comprehensive educational content and reference materials. Visit FleetED at www.nafa.org/fleeted.

NAFA cares about your privacy. As such, NAFA does not sell or rent e-mail addresses or phone numbers of its Members or Affiliates.

NAFA also does not endorse any particular product or service provided by fleet suppliers. If you receive an e-mail (or any other form of communication) from a supplier that implies a NAFA endorsement or uses the NAFA name or likeness to imply endorsement, please notify NAFA immediately. We will issue a cease-and-desist notice and pursue action as necessary. (You should know that e-mail addresses are part of the online PDF files NAFA posts each month for communication among NAFA Members and Affiliates. Access to these files is restricted to NAFA Members and Affiliates.)

For NAFA's complete privacy policy, please click here: http://www.nafa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Privacy_Policy.