Sunshine State Chapter Members Take In Best Business Practices Forum
Leu Gardens was the backdrop for the "100 Best Fleets in North America Implementing Best Business Practices Forum" on January 23, 2014. While not technically a co-located Sunshine State Chapter meeting, it was included on the NAFA Calendar and drew several NAFA members from the chapter. The 100 Best Fleets for 2014 will be presented prior to one of the Keynote Addresses at NAFA’s Institute & Expo, held April 8-11, 2014 in Minneapolis, MN.
Tom Johnson with 100 Best Fleets facilitated the event, which was co-sponsored by the City of Orlando and Central Florida Clean Cities. City of Orlando Commissioner Robert F. Stuart also attended.
Presentation topics for the Forum ranged from "Communicating Effectively with Your Boss" to "Leading in Challenging Times." Speakers, who are considered among the top 100 fleet managers, came from all over the U.S. including Thomas Westgaard from Prince William County, VA. Clean Cities Chair Glenn Scorza and Coordinator Colleen Kettles gave an overview of the Clean Cities website which includes information on alternative fuels, mass transit, and fleet optimization.
There were networking opportunities among fleet professionals and vendor sponsors, many of whom are NAFA members including Michele A. Wetherington, CAFM, Activity Project Manager for Volusia County Fleet Management; Facundo Tassara, Fleet Operations Manager, City of Ormond Beach; Paul Koch, CAFM, NAFA Trustee and Fleet Manager, City of Cape Coral; David Dunn, CFM, Manager of Fleet and Facilities for the City of Orlando; John Rencher, Fleet Manager, City of Deerfield Beach; and Doug Jeffcoat, Director of Public Works for the City of Sarasota.
After the seminar, Dunn led a tour of the city’s "net zero" facility.
The City of Orlando Fleet Maintenance Building solar project is fully operational and will generate approximately 590,000 kilowatt hours annually, equivalent to powering about 54 average sized Orlando homes and offsetting 2,375 vehicles gas emissions per year. The construction of the rooftop solar array brought 20 green jobs to the city and will provide $800,000 in Energy cost savings over the life of the project.
Special thanks to Michele A. Wetherington, CAFM, for material in this article.