Celebrating Membership Milestones
July 2017
50 years
Jim Frank
CEO
Wheels, Inc.
Des Plaines, IL
Jim Frank is CEO of Wheels, Inc., Wheels founded the
Fleet Management Industry in 1939 and under Jim's direction since 1975
has been a leader in Innovation, growing from 25,000 vehicles to become
one of North America's premier fleet management providers with over
300,000 vehicles under management in North America and over 1 million
vehicles in 40 countries in partnership with ALD. Jim has held
leadership roles in Industry Organizations, been keynote speaker at NAFA
and AFLA national conferences and has represented the Industry before
the U.S. Congress, Federal Trade Commission, U. S Treasury, and the
Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Jim has a Bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and MBA from Stanford
University. He is actively involved in Community affairs, serving on
the Boards of: University of Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History,
Illinois Network of Charter Schools, The Chicago Public Education Fund,
Vice Chair of the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was
recently recognized as an "Honorary Fellow of the Division of Biological
Sciences, and Chair of the Board of Intrinsic Network of Charter
Schools.
Patrick J. Sheehan
Director of Corporate Fleet
Baxter Healthcare (retired)
Barrington, IL
Patrick J. Sheehan was NAFA President from 1983 to 1985. He is credited,
during his tenure as NAFA President, for surpassing the total
membership mark of 2,500 for the Association, a high-point for NAFA at
that time.
Sheehan was also instrumental in the development of the Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania Certified Fleet Manager Program, a
precursor to what would ultimately become NAFA’s CAFM program. He was
recipient of NAFA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1988.
Recalling his introduction to NAFA, Sheehan noted both he and the
Association were in their formative periods. "Shortly after I joined
Baxter Healthcare in 1967, the CEO suggested I might be interested in a
fairly new organization for fleet administrators called NAFA. I decided
he was right and became a member," Sheehan recalled. "Can you believe,
back then, power options was the big issue?"
Through a steady, and relatively quick window of time, Sheehan became
invaluable to NAFA as it grew. "1971 was a busy year. I became Chapter
Chair in Chicago, and was asked to be NAFA Conference Chair that same
year. In 1974, I became a trustee, moved along into the chairs and
eventually became President in 1983; then on to the Board of Governors."
Prior to his years in fleet, Sheehan served as a ground accident
investigator during the Korean War. It can be easily assumed that such
an experience would lend itself to Sheehan’s warm feelings toward NAFA’s
sense of camaraderie, working alongside peers who all shared the same
ambitions and goals. "I am honored to have served with, and learned
from, these most competent men, who were considered more than business
associates, but friends."
30 Years
Walter J. Burnett, CAFM®
Macomb, IL
Walter J. Burnett, CAFM®, served the public works profession
for over thirty-eight years. He has worked for the Cities of Knoxville,
TN; Schaumburg, IL; Beverly Hills, CA, and retired as Public Works
Director of the City of Macomb, IL, where he managed a full service
public works operation, water and wastewater utility, and capital
improvement program.
Burnett has been active in professional associations, has served on the
Board of Trustees as Trustee, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President
for NAFA; Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network, where he served as a
Founding Director, the American Public Works Association, and is a past
President of the Automotive Transportation Supervisors Association. His
public works construction projects have received APWA Illinois Projects
of the Year Awards three times. He was a 2006 finalist for Government
Fleet Magazine’s Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Award and in
2007 received NAFA’s Excellence in Education Award. He holds a Bachelor
of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee and is a Certified
Automotive Fleet Manager. He currently works as a Project Consultant for
the Jones Corporation.
David G. Robertson, CAFM®
Spring, TX
David Robertson, CAFM®, was Assistant Director for the City
of Houston Fire Department Fleet Management. Robertson was president of
the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) from 2001-2003.
Following his retirement, Robertson worked with Mercury Associates,
Inc., a fleet management consulting company headquartered in
Gaithersburg, MD, as a senior associate consultant. He received NAFA’s
Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
Douglas Weichman, CAFM®
Director
City of Gainesville
Fleet Management
Gainesville, FL
Douglas Weichman, CAFM®, served as President of NAFA Fleet Management Association 2011-2013.
Douglas has been an active Member of NAFA since 1987 and has been
involved within NAFA’s educational programs, the Public Safety Group,
the Fuels & Technology Committee, and the Student Advisory Task
Force. His NAFA career is highlighted by the creation of NAFA
Sustainable Fleet Award (formerly known as the Green Fleet Award) and
the Student Advisory Task Force. His work as an instructor for NAFA’s
Fleet Management Seminar and the development of several educational
products has been instrumental for the Association.
Douglas currently serves as Director of Fleet Management for the City of
Gainesville, Florida. Previously, he was the Director Fleet Management
for Palm Beach County, Florida,1990-2017. Before that he was the Fleet
Manager for Miami-Dade County for nine years and has held private sector
fleet positions upon graduating from Ferris State University with a
Bachelor of Science in Automotive & Heavy Equipment Technology.
In addition to NAFA, Weichman is also an active member of the Florida
Association of Governmental Fleet Administrators. Among his career
highlights are his appointment by the Governor of Florida to the
Department of Energy’s Clean Cities initiative and his selection in 2009
as Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year.
It is the strength of our Members
like Jim Frank; Patrick J. Sheehan; Walter J. Burnett, CAFM®; David G. Robertson, CAFM®; and Douglas Weichman, CAFM® that has helped make NAFA the strongest association in fleet management today.
NAFA Fleet Management Association
http://www.nafa.org/