2013 Fleet Hall of Fame Nominees

Automotive Fleet magazine and the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) are proud to announce the 2013 nominees for the Fleet Hall of Fame.

Instituted to recognize fleet industry leaders and pioneers who have contributed significantly to the commercial fleet management profession, Hall of Fame inductees must have careers spanning 10 years or more. They are selected by their peers via an online ballot.

Established in 2008 with 20 founding members, the number of annual inductees will decrease by one each year, until three are installed in 2015. Thereafter, three honorees will be inducted in the Fleet Hall of Fame at AFLA’s annual conference.

There are currently 60 inductees in the Fleet Hall of Fame to date. This year’s nominees are as follows:

Jim Anselmi

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Lorillard Tobacco

Dates in Fleet: 1985-Present

Anselmi started as an apprentice automotive mechanic with the Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. in 1965. He became fleet manager and joined NAFA in 1986. Anselmi started with Lorillard Tobacco in 1996 as the director of fleet and travel. He was the first public service fleet manager to be elected NAFA President in 1995, is a recipient of the NAFA Distinguished Service Award, and is a past president of the NAFA Foundation. He served a term as AFLA president and was the 2002 AF Professional Fleet Manager of the Year.

Bob Berke

NAFA, Executive Director

(Deceased)

Berke took over full-time management of NAFA as the association’s founding executive director in March 1965. He spent his entire career with the association during its growth years until retiring from NAFA in 1985. Berke passed away in 2000.

Henk Bosman

U.S. Fleet Leasing

(Deceased)

Bosman began his career in the fleet leasing industry, working for several years in sales in the Pacific Northwest for GELCO Fleet Management Services.

In 1964, he and several partners started Vehicle Lease and Management Services with zero vehicles and expanded to more than 80,000 before the company was purchased U.S. Leasing, in 1972. He retired from U.S. Leasing in 1989. Bosman passed away Aug. 13, 2009, at the age of 80.

Tom Callahan

Ford; GE Commercial Finance; Donlen

Dates in Fleet: 1987-Present

Callahan is currently president of Donlen, setting the strategic focus and driving the execution of key initiatives. He began his career at Ford Motor Company where he held various sales and management roles. Additionally, Callahan held global leadership positions in general management, sales management, product development, quality, and operations in North America, UK, Japan, and Australasia with GE Commercial Finance ‑ Fleet Services and GE Consumer Finance.

As Donlen president, Callahan introduced the Net Promoter Score into operational performance metrics, and, in 2012, Donlen achieved a score of 63 — more than five times the U.S. industry average — due to the importance placed on customer satisfaction throughout the organization.

Callahan is a member of the Hertz Executive Committee and currently serves as president of AFLA.

Dave Dahm

LeasePlan USA

Dates in Fleet: 1981-Present

Dahm is EVP and CFO for LeasePlan USA. A 32-year industry veteran, he began his career at LeasePlan as controller in 1988, working his way up to the role of CFO, becoming president and CEO in 2000. During that time, Dahm oversaw LeasePlan’s successful acquisition of Consolidated Service Corporation (CSC), which more than tripled LeasePlan’s market share at the time. In late 2008, Dahm returned to his former position as CFO. Dahm serves on the AALA Board of Directors and is treasurer of the Association.

Dahm was named a CFO of the Year Award finalist in 2011 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for his contributions in improving processes and profitability for LeasePlan.

Warren Feirer

Lipton/Nabisco

(Retired)

Feirer served as NAFA president from 1979 to 1981, is a past president of NAFA Foundation, and recipient of NAFA’s Distinguished Service Award. During his career, he accepted an award on behalf of NAFA from President Jimmy Carter for NAFA’s efforts in planning fuel conservation during the height of the 1970s fuel crisis.

Dave Hansen

GM Fleet & Commercial Operations

Dates in Fleet: 1998-2008 (Retired)

Hansen joined GM in 1965 after graduating high school, working in a GM assembly plant during the summer while attending college. After graduating college with an engineering degree, he worked in several roles, including chief engineer for the Chevrolet Division. Hansen often comments that the highlight of his career was serving as general manager of GM Fleet & Commercial Operations in the late ’90s and into the next century. After leaving GM, Hansen became COO for Tecstar, a second-stage manufacturer for GM, then he assisted SCT with its fleet fuel economy software device. He is now retired, but provides pro-bono support of the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR).

Charles ‘Chuck’ Husby

GM Fleet & Commercial Operations

Dates in Fleet: 50 Years (Retired)

Husby started his career with the GM Defiance Foundry as a General Motors Institute student at age 17. He spent most of his career with Chevrolet, then moved to the North America Operations Fleet Department and then to GM Fleet & Commercial Operations. Husby retired from his last position with the company as a fleet account executive in Dallas at the end of February 2013, with 50 years of service.

Don Kolb

McCormick; Peterson, Howell & Heather (PHH); McDonald’s; Fleet Management Services, Inc.; GE Auto Auctions; Manheim

Dates in Fleet: 1963-2003 (Retired)

Kolb’s career started with McCormick in the sales control department with the task of reviewing “turn-in reports” for sales vehicles being returned to a local leasing company. A few years later, he joined the account executive staff at Peterson, Howell & Heather, serving their large base of clients in the New York area. Seven years later, he was assigned to the Midwest area. While helping McDonald’s hire a fleet manager, he was offered the job. Kolb developed a computer system that enabled his team to review and analyze virtually any aspect of their fleets operations, among the first of its kind to be run on a mainframe computer. Kolb left McDonald’s to create Fleet Management Services, Inc., a company to sell the computer system and train fleet managers on its use. When the company was forced to close, he then joined a Chicago Dodge dealer who had lost his fleet sales group. He then worked for GE Auto Auctions, working with auto manufacturers remarking departments, leasing companies, banks, and fleet managers who remarked their own units on ways to maximize vehicle sales results. He later worked at Manheim.

Dan Leary

Motorlease Corporation

Dates in Fleet: 1960-1993 (Deceased)

Leary joined Motorlease in 1960, working in sales and general management. With his partner, Charles O’Neill, he helped pioneer the concept of outsourced fleet management and was instrumental in developing new remarketing strategies for Motorlease. He took full control of the company in 1976. During his tenure, Motorlease expanded from 10 employees and a fleet of 600 to about 30 employees and a fleet of 3,000 at his retirement in 1993, when he turned company management over to his son Jack, CEO, and daughter Beth, CFO. He remained on Motorlease’s Board of Directors, was an active member of AALA throughout his career, and served on its Board from 1981 through 1993. He passed away in 2011.

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Stephen Levine

Alexander’s Rent a Car; Guardsman LeasePlan; Warner/Amex Cable TV; Upjohn/Pharmacia/Pfizer

Dates in Fleet: 1968-2009 (Retired)

Levine started at Alexander’s Rent A Car, moving on to Guardsman LeasePlan, where he sold open-/closed-/individual/fleet leases working in every department. He moved on Warner, Amex Cable TV, then Upjohn/Pharmacia/Pfizer (via mergers). He served as the Michigan NAFA Chapter Chair. Levine was appointed to MIOSHA to write fleet safety rules/regulations for the state and selected to represent NAFA in testifying before the House Energy Subcommittee regarding Clean Air legilsation. At Upjohn/Pharmacia, he implemented “zero tolerance for DUI infractions.” He was selected to GM’s first Sounding Board and served on Wheels’ Steering Council. Levine was awarded the AF Professional Fleet Manager of the Year in 1999. 

Dave Lighthall, CFM/CAFM

Moore Business Forms, Inc.; Siemens Industrial, Inc.; Diversey, Inc.; Kraft Foods Group, Inc.

Dates in Fleet: 1979-Present

Lighthall has been actively involved in the fleet industry throughout his 30-plus year career. He conducted company training classes on fleet operations and participated in the Illinois Alternate Fuels Task Force. He held several positions in NAFA as a chapter officer, chapter committee chair/member, and various national committees. He is currently a member of the NAFA National Editorial Advisory Council and is the Chicago Chapter Secretary. He received the NAFA Chicago Chapter Outstanding Chapter Service Award and the National Outstanding Chapter Service Award. Lighthall was in the first graduating class of the Wharton Business School/NAFA CFM program in 1985 and received Lifetime CAFM Certification in 2011.

Ron Mawaka Sr.

Fleet Response

Dates in Fleet: 1986-Present

Mawaka Sr. left his mark on the fleet industry when he created Rental Concepts, Inc. in February 1986. A unique rental consortium and first of its kind, it provided temporary cars, trucks, and specialty vehicles to fleets nationwide. His vision was a centralized service for fleet managers to eliminate multiple vendors and invoices. Today, Mawaka’s vision has become Fleet Response — a fully customized accident management, maintenance management, salvage, subrogation, and safety service provider (in addition to continuing to offer the rental services). Mawaka’s sons, Scott and Ron Jr., carry on his work at Fleet Response. He has been a member of NAFA since 1984. Mawaka gives credit for his success to his friend and mentor, Pat Starr, retired CEO of Consolidated Service Corporation (CSC).

Bob Mayfield

GELCO; GE Capital Fleet Services

(Retired)

Mayfield was the only two-term AFLA president, serving from 1998-2000. Among his achievements, he handled the GELCO/GE Capital Fleet Services largest select accounts and received the GE Fleet Services salesman of the year award three times.

Jim McCallum

GM Fleet & Commercial Operations (Retired)

McCallum was employed at General Motors for 37 years before retiring in November 2008. He began working in the Chevrolet Fleet Department in 1979 under the legendary George Frink. He served in a number of areas of GM Fleet including fleet distribution, field operations, GM global fleet, and fleet dealer operations. He was a NAFA Affiliate and member of the Affiliates Committee, and served on the NAFA Foundation Board of Directors. At GM, he helped to establish the first fleet secondary codes, convened the initial Chevrolet Fleet Sounding Board, expanded Chevrolet’s in-shop warranty presence and guided its initial efforts in global fleet.

Robert McCoy

Truck Country; McMorhan Trucking; Foodliner; Quest

Dates in Fleet: 1954-2013 (Deceased)

McCoy entered the trucking business with a single-vehicle milk route, growing it to an enterprise with more than 1,600 employees. After a brief stint as a farmer, McCoy became a cheesemaker, supplementing his income by collecting milk from area farms for his employer. After a workplace injury forced him to quit the cheese factory, he turned to long-haul trucking, delivering milk, livestock, and other products to cities as distant as New York. That led to the creation of Mc-Mor-Han Trucking in 1954. In 1958, McCoy secured a General Motors franchise for light- and medium-duty trucks. In the early years, he was the GMC Truck Sales’ shop foreman, parts manager, and only salesman —while still serving as general manager of Mc-Mor-Han. McCoy passed away in May 2013. He was 86 years old.

Kevin McGrath

Fleet Street Remarketing

Dates in Fleet: 1980-Present

McGrath entered the auto business in 1980, working for a multi-line dealership in St. Petersburg, Fla. After selling used cars, working in the finance department, and buying autos and trucks at wholesale for the dealership, McGrath struck out on his own in 1985 and formed a wholesale auto business, called RAM Auto Leasing, with friend Bob McDevitt. Along with one employee who handled administrative tasks, the three bought and sold 20-40 used corporate cars per month. RAM soon transitioned to Eastern Fleet Remarketing after McDevitt moved on to another venture, and ultimately the company was rebranded as Fleet Street Remarketing to better capture the company’s new remarketing focus and global reach. As owner of Fleet Street Remarketing, McGrath helps businesses achieve maximum returns on the resale of each vehicle. McGrath has also been a member of the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) for more than 20 years and has served on the board of directors for the Association.

Brian McVeigh

GM Fleet & Commercial Operations

(Retired)

McVeigh spent almost 40 years working in sales and marketing at General Motors. Ten years spent in the fleet and commercial world — four as the director of fleet in Canada and the last six as the general manager of Fleet & Commercial Sales in the U.S. During the time spent in fleet, he recognized the importance of developing relationships with both the end-user customer, as well as working with the commercial leasing organizations, to meet the customer’s fleet requirements. He put new emphasis on supporting GM’s commercial truck dealers, putting in place resources for them to grow this business. In addition, there were many upgrades to the auction business with new people put in place to recognize the importance of residual values. There was a strong emphasis put into vehicle content in working with daily rental business partners that was beneficial to both parties.

Carl Nelson

AT&T; AM-Liner East, Inc.

Dates in Fleet: 1992-2004; 2006-Present

With AT&T, Nelson directed a corporate fleet of 5,000-plus vehicles in all 50 states and managed a budget of $21 million. He led training programs for local field representatives, assisted vendors in creating and implementing new packages ultimately used by other companies, created a rightsizing program decreasing expenses 15 percent and saving $3.7 million despite higher acquisition costs, streamlined the selector, was the featured speaker at local fleet meetings, and provided consultation for several major companies.

With AM-Liner East, Nelson manages a fleet of 140 vehicles from compact sedans to Class 8 tractors. He has created several policies and programs, including DOT compliance and drug testing, a medical card policy, hiring procedures, a new fuel program, and an internal “How’s-My-Driving” program. He has implemented mandatory pre-employment drug testing and MVR checks, and trained all supervisors/drivers for DOT certification. He also handles all accident, Workers’ Compensation, and liability claims. He tracks, calibrates, and repairs gas monitors; manages internal vehicle repair program; and interviews potential employees. He has been nominated twice for AF’s Professional Fleet Manager of the Year, and, in 2012, Nelson made history by being one of only three people to have received three Larry Goill Awards.

Rick Nicoletti

Long Chevrolet; Faul Fleet Group; Napleton Fleet Group

Dates in Fleet: 1976-Present

Nicoletti began his career in the fleet industry in 1976 when Don Fenton hired him at Long Chevrolet. By late 1978 he was the operations manager directing a fleet sales staff that processed more than 7,800 vehicle orders per year. In 1978, with the growing use of drop-shipment rather than purchasing from regional dealers, Nicoletti developed a sight draft to reimburse courtesy delivery dealers for sales tax and registration fees. In 1982, when Fenton moved to Faul Oldsmobile, Nicoletti joined him as operations manager. With the growing trend toward dealer groups in the mid-1980s, Nicoletti took the concept one step further with the formation of the Faul Fleet Group in 1986. This provided fleet customers the ability to purchase multiple makes from a single source. In 1991, Nicoletti took over as president of the Faul Fleet Group. The following year Nicoletti and his staff joined the Ed Napleton dealerships and formed the Napleton Fleet Group. Utilizing the Internet as a way for fleet customers to order vehicles, check order status, and obtain vehicle information, Nicoletti developed the first fleet dealer website in the late 1990s. Nicoletti has been active in AFLA for more than 25 years serving on the board of directors and is a past president.

Gerri Patton

LeasePlan USA

Dates in Fleet: 1985-Present

As director, client activation, Patton is responsible for the continued development and enhancement of processes for activating new clients as well as implementing new services for existing clients. In addition, she has been a key advocate for LeasePlan’s HealthyU Program, an employee-run wellness committee, which helped land LeasePlan on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2013 Healthiest Employers list. Under her direction, the client activation team was named a finalist in the 2006 American Business Awards for the “Best Customer Service Team” category. A 28-year industry veteran, she has served as manager, client activation for LeasePlan prior to her current role. Previous positions held at LeasePlan also include manager, license and title department.

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Josie Sharp, CAFM

Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Co.; Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceutical Co.; Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Shire Pharmaceuticals

Dates in Fleet: 1987-2012

(Retired)

Sharp began as a fleet coordinator at Bell & Howell managing around 500 vehicles in the U.S. She was then offered a position with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (RPR) managing a 1,500-vehicle fleet, growing to around 3,500 vehicles, and fleet safety was added to her responsibilities. After a merger, RPR became Aventis, and Sharp was offered the position of manager of fleet and safety with about 5,000-plus vehicles. In 2003, Sharp won AF’s Fleet Manager of the Year; later that year, she was offered the position of Bureau Director for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At Shire Pharmaceuticals, she handled fleet, fleet safety, and field-related programs. She held positions on fleet advisory boards including Ford, GM, OnStar, and was a member of groups including AFLA, National Safety Council, and the National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA). She is an active member of NAFA, holding all positions on the NAFA Philadelphia Chapter Board.

Ron Shoemaker

Flexco Fleet Services (FFS); Innovative Funding Services (IFS); and Hourglass Management Corp.

Dates in Fleet: 1989-Present

Shoemaker is the CEO of Flexco Fleet Services (FFS), Innovative Funding Services (IFS), and Hourglass Management Corp. He has attended and contributed to AFLA since 1992, the same year that he incorporated Flexco Fleet Services. He has served on the board for AFLA in the past, as director of remarketing. In 2009, Ron co-founded Innovative Funding Services, a top-tier finance organization working with Fortune 100 companies, major national banks, and vehicle manufacturers.

John Sohl

Auto Driveaway Co. (Deceased)

Sohl founded Auto Driveaway in Philadelphia in 1952. In 1960, he purchased Chicago-based AAA Driveaway. In the early 1970s, Auto Driveaway became a regulated Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) carrier. During the 1970s and 1980s, the company had changed from private “snowbird” deliveries to corporate deliveries of vehicles for the Fortune 500 companies. During its peak years, the business shipped over 40,000 vehicles and grossed over $18 million. From 2000 on, Auto Driveaway’s primary customers were large leasing companies, such as ARI, Wheels, GE Capital Fleet Services, PHH Arval, and Motorlease. Sohl was actively involved in the fleet industry, supporting NAFA and AFLA. Sohl retired from the business in 2002 during its 50th anniversary year and passed away in 2010.

William ‘Bill’ Stoops

Hertz; Wheels; Emkay

Dates in Fleet: 1958-1999 (Retired)

Stoops started his fleet management career in 1958 with the Hertz Corporation. After 12 years in sales management (at the regional level), he joined Wheels Inc. as a senior sales representative on the East Coast. Stoops resigned from Wheels after 12 years in 1982, and went to work with Emkay as the SVP of sales, East Coast. Emkay’s president at the time was Gary Tepas, a former colleague of Stoops at Hertz. (Stoops hired and trained Tepas as a junior salesman at Hertz.) He spent almost 17 years with Emkay, retiring in 1999.

Bob Ward

GELCO; Avis; USFL; Fleet Advisors

Dates in Fleet: 1971-Present

Ward began his career with GELCO in 1971, working in several areas, from operations to client relations, sales to international responsibilities, and eventually president of GELCO’s Fleet Management Group. While at GELCO, the company went from a regional leasing company to an international company and eventually became a $2-billion diversified transportation company traded on the NYSE. After GE acquired GELCO in 1988, Ward returned to New York and accepted the position of president of Avis Leasing Co. He later joined U.S. Leasing in San Francisco (then-owned by Ford) and became president of its business unit USFL. After several years with U.S. Leasing, Ward left to start his own business, Fleet Advisors in 1995. Since then, he has worked with hundreds of companies on fleet-related consulting projects and simultaneously established a fleet management program to assist fleets.

Bret Watson, CAFM

GELCO; GE Capital Fleet Services; Sprint

Dates in Fleet: 1984-Present

Watson began working at GELCO in 1984, which became GE Capital Fleet in 1987. In 1989, he joined Sprint and has worked for the company more than 24 years, all of which have been in fleet. He started first as a fleet administrator, then became fleet manager a few years later. He operates a fleet of 2,200 vehicles with one direct report and many outsourced suppliers for additional support. Sprint had been with GELCO, GE Fleet before Watson joined Sprint in 1989. About 90 percent of Sprint’s fleet are cars and SUVs, with about 10 percent of the vehicles being medium- to heavy-duty trucks. Sprint fleet has a personal-use program, safety program, and a DOT program. Watson also served as Chapter Chair of the NAFA Mid-America Chapter, Chair of NAFA’s Editorial and Certification Committees, and served one year as AFLA treasurer.

Harley Westfall

Adrian Steel

Westfall joined Adrian Steel in 1976 and took over after his father, Adrian Steel founder Bob Westfall, who passed away in 1980. Westfall led Adrian Steel as president for 25 years. He instilled the values of a team effort throughout the company and his strategic decisions to create subsidiaries, expand distribution, expand the product line, and modernize the manufacturing line not only created growth at Adrian Steel, but positioned the company to become an industry leader in offering cargo management solutions for commercial vehicles. In 2013, the Adrian Steel Company celebrated its 60th anniversary.