Joe Gibbs, Legendary Hall Of Fame Coach And NASCAR Owner, To Close Out I&E With Keynote

The old sports adage, "it ain’t over till it’s over," will certainly be true at NAFA’s 2011 Institute & Expo in Charlotte, NC.  Following four days that include an almost sold-out expo floor with over 200 exhibitors, keynote addresses from two high-profile automotive industry executives, and over 60 hours of quality educational sessions, the I&E will close out with a bang – a keynote address by the legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and NASCAR racing team owner, Joe Gibbs.

A native of North Carolina, Gibbs will provide a keynote address on Tuesday, April 12 during NAFA’s Chapter Recognition Luncheon.  A full house is expected to hear Gibbs provide an inspirational close to the annual conference.  Joe Gibbs’ appearance has been made possible by Toyota.

Gibbs’ amazing resume begins with a stellar football career in which he led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships in four attempts and 10 playoff appearances in 16 years as head coach.  He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996 with one of the highest winning percentages of all-time.  After football, he turned his attention to his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, where success followed him from the field to the track.  His racing teams have had more than 140 overall wins in NASCAR, three NASCAR Cup Series championships (2000, 2002, and 2005), and back-to-back NASCAR Nationwide Series championships (2008 Owner's Champion and 2009 Driver's and Owner's Champions).

Outside of the sporting world, Gibbs is well known as a deeply committed Christian.  In 1986, he founded Youth For Tomorrow (YFT), an organization committed to providing a safe, healthy, and compassionate environment for at-risk youth who have been abandoned, abused, or otherwise alienated from family and community. In July 2009, he released his latest book, Game Plan For Life, which shows readers how to live a balanced, God-centered, purpose-filled life, using examples of Coach Gibbs's own storied championship careers as a backdrop.  He is also the author of the books Fourth and One and Racing to Win. 

Prior to Gibbs’s keynote address on Tuesday, NAFA’s I&E features two keynote presentations from high-level executives within the automotive industry.  Shane Terblanche, Vice President and General Manager for Navistar Electric Vehicles, speaks on Sunday, April 10 and Don Esmond, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota, follows on Monday, April 11.

NAFA’s annual Institute & Expo brings more than 2,000 fleet industry professionals together for four days of education, trade show experience, and networking.  It is recognized as the event of the year for the fleet management industry as every industry segment from corporate to government, university, and public safety will have fleet managers in attendance.

For more information on NAFA’s 2011 I&E, please visit www.nafainstitute.org.