NAFA Salutes The Members Of The 2011 Fleet Hall Of Fame
It’s an annual tradition to see NAFA Members and Affiliates chosen to the Fleet Hall of Fame, but this year is even more special than usual. The entire 2011 list of inductees have significant ties to NAFA. Six inductees are either current or former members of NAFA (including many with twenty or more years as a member) and the seventh has been involved in the Association’s annual Institute & Expo on numerous occasions. The announcement for this year’s class was made at the 2011 AFLA conference in San Diego on September 15.
In 1957 when a group of fleet professionals first met at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Annual Meeting in Detroit, few would have believed that their vision of an association of fleet managers would develop into the powerful entity that NAFA is today. Spread out across the United States and Canada, NAFA’s history is seen throughout the Fleet Hall of Fame from the Association’s founding fathers to the leading fleet professionals of today.
"It’s always nice when NAFA members are rewarded for their hard work," said NAFA’s Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE. "And it’s even nicer when members who truly get involve with the Association get recognized. Our members who volunteer their time and share their knowledge are the reason for NAFA’s success. Ken Baittinger, Shirley Collins, and Bob Martines have combined to shape NAFA’s educational and outreach programs, steer our annual conference, preside over local NAFA chapters, and help guide the overall vision of the association through the years. We are grateful for the wonderful support of such members and pleased to see them recognized by the Hall."
Shirley Collins, CAFM, Director, US Fleet Management for GlaxoSmithkline, has a NAFA resume which includes roles as a NAFA Regional Trustee, Chair of NAFA’s National Program Committee, Chair of NAFA’s Editorial Committee, and Co-Chair of NAFA’s National Certification Board. In addition, Collins has been active in her local NAFA Chapter as well, serving on many committees and as Chapter Chair from 1996-1998.
Bob Martines, President of Corporate Claims Management, is currently Chair of his Chapter’s Affiliates Committee, a position he has held on six other occasions as well. He has also served as Chair of his Chapter’s Maintenance and Safety Committees, and on NAFA’s National Editorial Advisory Council.
Ken Baittinger, who retired from Automotive Resources International (ARI) in 2004, served on NAFA’s I&E Curriculum Committee in 2003.
The remaining inductees include George Kilroy of PHH; Ray Fisher of Chrysler Corporation/Donlen Corp; Jim McCarthy, Siemens Corp.; and Gary Rappeport, Donlen Corporation. Both Kilroy and Rappeport have participated in panel discussions conducted at NAFA’s annual Institute & Expo, while McCarthy was a regular I&E attendee for many years.
The Fleet Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) and is presented by Automotive Fleet magazine.