AFLA 2008 Conference Photo Gallery and Video Now Available Online

PHOENIX – Photos, a PowerPoint slideshow of the inductees, and video from the AFLA 2008 Conference in Phoenix are now available for viewing online.

by Staff

September 18, 2008

AFLA 2008 Conference Photo Gallery and Video Now Available Online — (l-r) Todd Good, Mark Klein, Deb Watkins, and Kevin McGrath pose on the golf course.

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PHOENIX – The Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA) hosted a record of nearly 300 attendees at its 40th Annual Meeting and Conference at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, September 10-12. One of the conference's highlights was the presentation of the Fleet Hall of Fame Awards.

AFLA President Elsie Lucia and Ed Bobit of Bobit Business Media inducted the following inductees into the 2008 Fleet Hall of Fame:

E.J. Ames, Universal CIT Credit Corp.
Gene Arbaugh, PHH
Ray Breault, Fleet Response / Hoffmann-LaRoche / Revlon
Al Cavalli, Universal CIT Credit Corp. / American Home Products / Avis Leasing
Dick Heather, PHH
Jack Kolb, ARI
Arno Neuber, ARI
Don Rappeport, Donlen
John Rock, General Motors
Gary Tepas, Emkay

A PowerPoint presentation of the 10 inductees in the 2008 Fleet Fall of Fame can be viewed here.

In addition, there were 20 founding inductees in the Fleet Hall of Fame. A video of these founding Fleet Hall of Fame inductees can be viewed here.

1. Helen Bland– Hallmark

2. Howard Cook – Ford Motor Co.

3. Eddie Dame – Avis Leasing

4. Don Fenton – Piemonte Fleet

5. Jim Frank – Wheels Inc.

6. Zollie Frank – Wheels Inc.

7. George Frink – GM/Chevrolet

8. Bud Grossman – Gelco

9. Joe Holman – ARI/Holman

10. Harley Howell – PHH

11. Jack Lamb – Exxon

12. Sam Lee – Lee Fleet Management

13. Milo Matick – Piemonte Fleet

14. Emerson Parker – Hartford Fire Insurance

15. S. Lester Landau – Picker X-Ray

16. Hubert Ryan – Hertz Leasing

17. Armund Schoen – Wheels Inc.

18. Bob Soell – Suntrup Ford City

19. Ed Stanley – Oldsmobile Div.

20. George Weimer – Contel/Hertz

Click here for links to:

Photo gallery

2008 Fleet Hall of Fame Inductees PowerPoint

Video of 25 industry veterans

In other news, AFLA announced the members of its 2008-2009 Board:

Past President: Elsie Lucia, Estee Lauder, Inc.

President: Mike Antich, Automotive Fleet Magazine

Executive Vice President: Tom Donato, ARI - Automotive Resources International

Vice President: Lori Rasmussen, PARS

Treasurer: Debbie Mize, Hallmark Cards Inc.

Secretary: Debra Watkins, PHH Arval

Director Dealers: Brian Farrar, Umbrella Fleet Partners

Director Remarketers: Ron Shoemaker, Flexco Fleet Services

Director Allied: John Ruppert, Ford Motor Company

Director Fleet: Shirley Collins, GlaxoSmithKline

Director Lessors: Mary Sticha, GE Capital Solutions

Director At Large: Dick Malcom, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co.

Director At Large: Matthew Betz, AmeriFleet Transportation

Other highlights from the 2008 AFLA conference included a "Cars of Tomorrow" reception featuring future concept vehicles, as well as presentations from renowned experts such as:

Larry Burns, vice president of research for General Motors
John McElroy, host of the television program "Autoline Detroit"
Michael Rogers,New York Times futurist

In addition to the high-caliber educational content, several conference attendees participated in the classic Pete "Z" Golf Tournament, during which AFLA Secretary Deb Watkins successfully shot a hole-in-one to win a cruise or airfare for two sponsored by Flexco Fleet Services.