PRINCETON, NJ - Midway through a year filled with accomplishments that have raised the bar for fleet managers, NAFA is proud to announce the launch of its 2009 Membership Drive. NAFA Fleet Management Association, the largest association for fleet management professionals since 1957, believes that the best sales pitch comes from the members themselves.  Last year's Membership Drive added 70 new Members and NAFA hopes to keep the momentum going with this year's Membership Drive, which runs from July 1 through November 30, 2009.

The year began with the introduction of NAFA's Certified Automotive Fleet Supervisor (CAFS) certification program, which opens the door to fleet management careers to all who work within a fleet department, including technicians, assistants, and others in fleet-related positions.  In February, NAFA's Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program was approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This approval means that veterans, eligible dependents, and reservists may now apply directly to the VA for reimbursement of the cost of the CAFM tests, making it easier for millions to acquire both basic and advanced fleet management education.  In April, the Rocky Mountain Fleet Management Association (r) (RMFMA) joined a coalition of organizations exclusively endorsing and offering to its members NAFA's Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) and Certified Automotive Fleet Supervisor (CAFS) programs.

The busy list of accomplishments in 2009 continued with the announcement of an agreement with Mercury Associates, Inc. to deliver fleet management seminars in specific under-served markets of the United States; the introduction of a new online Fleet Greenhouse Gas Calculator created by NAFA and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) that makes it easier than ever for fleet managers to measure their greenhouse gas emissions; over 50 fleet professionals forming the largest ever CAFM graduation class; a highly successful Institute & Expo in New Orleans with over 60 hours of educational sessions; and the releases of NAFA's Fleet Maintenance Operations Guide and Fuel Management Guide.

All of these accomplishments were achieved due to the hard work of NAFA members.  The Association's membership is more than just the spirit of the organization - it is the lifeblood of NAFA.  The annual Membership Drive utilizes NAFA members to recruit new Members.  For each new fleet manager NAFA Member recruited between July 1 and November 30, 2009, one ticket is entered in a drawing to win the Grand Prize, a free trip to the 2010 Institute & Expo in Detroit, MI including full conference registration, hotel for all conference nights, and roundtrip travel/airfare.  In addition, five lucky members will win full Institute & Expo conference registrations.  Plus, each new Member recruited earns the recruiter a $10 coupon good towards any NAFA product. 

Membership is one of NAFA's highest priorities and the Membership Drive is just one of the avenues that NAFA uses to attract potential new members. Current Members and Affiliates are aware of NAFA's services and providing that information to others is a great benefit.

Some of the benefits of a NAFA Membership include: legislative counsel in Washington, DC and Ottawa; networking databases; 34 chapters across Canada and the United States; NAFA's career network;  publications (FLEETSolutions magazine, FleetFOCUS e-newsletter, and Legislative Updates e-newsletter); and NAFA education and events ranging from the annual Institute & Expo to seminars and online resources.

About NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association is a not-for-profit, individual membership professional society serving the needs of members who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA's Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350 thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks.  For more information, visit www.nafa.org.