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Thirteen fleet management professionals have been nominated for the 2021 Edward J. Bobit Professional Fleet Manager of the Year award. The nominees have diverse experience, but share the common qualities of passion and drive for excellence.

The Fleet Manager of the Year award recognizes a proficient fleet manager who has demonstrated special business acumen in developing and executing key management policies in all areas. The award is sponsored by Wheels, Inc. and the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA). The award is sponsored by Wheels, Inc. and the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA). The winner will be announced at the AFLA Annual Conference, which will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 4-6, 2021

Qualified nominees who are full-time commercial fleet managers, control a company-owned or leased fleet in excess of 100 cars and light trucks combined, and who are recognized nationally among their peers for their unique abilities and accomplishments are eligible.

Joe Lukacs, Global Director of Fleet Operations, Sherwin Williams

  • Total Vehicles: 10,500+
    Joe Lukacs  -

    Joe Lukacs

  • Staff Supervised: 10
  • Years with current fleet: 6
  • Years in industry: 6

Notable Achievements:  After a year of research, Lukacs committed to acquire, design and deliver two EVs to the fleet in 2020. In five short months, the pilot project went from table concept to field use as Lukacs and his team worked with suppliers to select and upfit a Chevrolet Bolt, design and apply decals and identify and install charging stations. Lukacs also instituted a culture- and change-management program, including executive briefings and store training, to help drivers prepare the new fleet vehicles. Upon the pilot’s success and its potential significant impact on the company’s carbon footprint, Lukacs expanded the program, ordering five more Chevrolet Bolts for use as sales vehicles and another 10 for commercial use. Lukacs and his team continue to test EVs and monitor new EV technology. A leading member at LeasePlan USA’s inaugural 2021 EV Summit, Lukacs also sits on the General Motors Fleet EV advisory board.

 

Delwin Lovell, Senior Vice President Operations, Rotech Healthcare

  • Total Vehicles: 840
  • Staff Supervised: 150
    Delwin Lovell  -

    Delwin Lovell

  • Years with current fleet: 7
  • Years in industry: 21

Notable Achievements: Upon taking charge of Rotech Healthcare’s fleet in 2016, Lovell focused on transforming the fleet to newer, safer and more cost-efficient vehicles while decreasing operational costs. This goal required right-typing the fleet, improving logistics, proactively planning for acquisitions and streamlining aftermarket installation on the front end. Operationally, it also required monitoring and tracking vehicle repairs and ensuring efficient vehicle routing. Paying close attention to each of these areas, Lovell has driven down maintenance and fuel expenses. In addition, his oversight of Rotech’s fleet and collaboration with the company’s maintenance experts has saved Rotech more than $600,000 through repair management. Rotech’s fleet has grown over the years, but Lovell has continually reduced spend as well as built upon his initiatives. For example, in 2020, the Rotech fleet grew 6.4%, but spend was down 23.5%

 

Steve Mosley, Director, Corporate Fleet Services, American Red Cross

  • Total Vehicles: 7,000
  • Staff Supervised: 4
    Steve Mosley  -

    Steve Mosley

  • Years with current fleet: 3
  • Years in industry: 12+

Notable Achievements: Mosley and his team manage the American Red Cross vehicle fleet with Mosley directing overall fleet strategy management. In the past three years of managing the fleet, Mosley has led strategic initiatives resulting in higher proceeds and streamlined processes. Recently, the team partnered with Element Fleet Management to assume 100% of the Red Cross remarketing program—a turnkey solution resulting in a 35-percent increase in average net sale proceeds. Additionally, a revised replacement strategy has improved overall fleet health. Mosley has also spearheaded initiatives supporting sustainability, including a hybrid vehicle pilot program to reduce CO2 emissions and a revised diversity reporting strategy. The COVID-19 pandemic rallied the fleet team, led by Mosley, to respond unstintingly to community needs, working long hours throughout 2020 to support blood drives, donations, and critical emergency response.

 

Sharon Etherington, Senior Manager, Regional Administrative Services, Credit Card, Fleet, and Travel, Roche Diagnostics

  • Total Vehicles: 1,500
  • Staff Supervised: 1
    Sharon Etherington  -

    Sharon Etherington

  • Years with current fleet: 5
  • Years in industry: 14

Notable Achievements: For forward-thinking Etherington, sustainability is critical. Roche casually added hybrids to the fleet selector in 2005 with minimal response. However, in 2015 Etherington started switching all sales and service fleet over to hybrids, with  87% of the vehicles now hybrids. Her driver-popular vehicle selector offers midsize hybrid sedans, a diesel SUV, a SUV hybrid, and a PHEV. The first battery-electric vehicle addition is expected to lead to an all-electric fleet by 2030. Even as the fleet vehicle totals increased, total fuel cost dropped: the $2.4 million 2019 fuel spend marked a $2.4 million cost decrease in just seven years. Etherington has overhauled the fleet safety program, adding continuous MVR monitoring, training programs, proactive lessons for all drivers and behind-the-wheel training. Telematics devices are now installed in high-risk drivers’ vehicles. She created an “Innovation Day.” Select drivers visit their fleet management partner’s headquarters for idea-sharing and learning via round table discussions, interactive tech demonstrations and an EV ride-and-drive. The partner’s consultants recommend the event to other fleets.

 

Barbara Zuroick, U.S. Fleet Operations & Safety Manager, AstraZenica

  • Total Vehicles: 4,800
    Barbara Zuroick  -

    Barbara Zuroick

  • Staff Supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 5
  • Years in industry: 5

Notable Achievements: In 2017, Zuroick launched an aggressive initiative to convert the entire 4,800-unit fleet to hybrids, aiming to reduce annual carbon output and increase overall fleet mpg to 30. With 78% of the fleet now hybrid vehicles, carbon output is down 10,000 tons and fuel economy has reached 33 mpg. To help meet AstraZeneca’s zero-carbon emissions goal by 2025, Zuroick will transform the entire U.S. fleet to electric vehicles. Reviewing numerous TCO scenarios, she selected models suited to company drivers from sustainability, productivity, and cost standpoints. Zuroick is analyzing fleet usage to identify vehicles most fitting to begin the EV transition, factoring in current infrastructure and available charging stations. She also surveyed field drivers to determine those eager and willing to move to electric vehicles and help propel the company’s emissions initiative. Zuroick’s efforts landed AstraZeneca’s U.S. fleet within the top 10 in Automotive Fleet’s top 50 green fleet listing.

 

Kate Tooley, Director of Fleet Strategy & Operations, Terminix

  • Kate Tooley  -

    Kate Tooley

    Total Vehicles: 10,000
  • Staff Supervised: 4
  • Years with current fleet: 2
  • Years in industry: 2

Notable Achievements: In just two years at Terminix, Tooley has led the charge on rethinking the fleet’s vehicle cycling strategies and improving overall fleet efficiencies. Her accomplishments include overseeing a successful and smooth transition to a new fleet management company; undertaking a major data cleansing and integrity improvement effort; implementing preventive maintenance compliance; executing a bailment pool, right-sizing and spare management activities; and deploying a repair-versus-replace decision process. She has developed several value initiatives and executed first-year efforts for many of those projects with accumulated savings of more than $5 million. Tooley can be credited for nurturing fleet team bench strength: she has expanded the team to include a data analyst, promoted talent and hired new members to bring fresh perspectives to fleet operations. A Lieutenant Colonel in the U. S. Army Reserve, Logistics Corps, Tooley has also determined a long-term vision and guiding principles the Terminix fleet.

 

Sally Allen, Fleet Manager, Freedom Forever

  • Total Vehicles: 770+
    Sandy Allen  -

    Sandy Allen

  • Staff Supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 1
  • Years in industry: 25

Notable Achievements: In the face of rapid corporate growth, Allen is laying the groundwork to more than double the Freedom Forever fleet size in the next 18-24 months. Just one year on the job, Allen’s proactive, out-of-the-box approach has driven needed change. She managed a fleet management company switch to streamline processes, partnering with a single provider for vehicles, billing, and reporting. Against a tight deadline, she implemented an accelerated replacement plan, cycling 100% of the fleet, consolidated under one provider. As a result, the company reduced its lease payment, tapped into fleet equity, and negotiated its CPS agreement. Allen changed insurance brokers to reap additional savings. Ultimately, her efforts will tap more than $960,000 in net equity, increase incentives by a third and reduce overall monthly payment by more than $6,500. Throughout the streamlining efforts, Allen worked successfully to gain management support for what were significant cultural and operational changes.

 

Charlie Stevenson, Vice President, Essential Utilities, Inc. 

  • Total Vehicles: 2,600
    Charlie Stevenson  -

    Charlie Stevenson

  • Staff Supervised: 19
  • Years with current fleet: 34
  • Years in industry: 38

Notable Achievements: One of the few “hands-on” fleet executives left in the industry, Stevenson can boast of a true understanding of the complexities of fleet management. In addition, he is actively involved with his personnel (office and field) as well as Essential Utilities’ service suppliers to ensure its fleet needs are addressed more than adequately. Stevenson demonstrates the highest level of respect for suppliers, naturally resulting in a uniquely mutually harmonious relationship. His professionalism is beyond reproach within this very trying industry. Furthermore, the atmosphere he promotes filters through his staff, solidifying even further the client /supplier relationship. Stevenson and his team are equally focused on customer service and cost containment. While supplier working relationships may be strong, the end results are the critically important factors in fleet management and operations—equating to the supplier earning its business and Essential Utilities reaping the benefits.

 

Karen Mongelli, Director, National Fleet, Black & McDonald Limited

  • Total Vehicles: 2,140
    Karen Mongelli  -

    Karen Mongelli

  • Staff Supervised: 3
  • Years with current fleet: 6
  • Years in industry: 20+

Notable Achievements: Mongelli continually anticipates the next steps, developments and challenges for Black & McDonald’s unique fleet needs in the construction and utility industry. She has elevated her organization’s approach to fleet by driving consistent policies, cost reduction, and effective practices across Black & McDonald’s 20-plus regional operations. A recent example of Mongelli’s leadership was her decision to consolidate used-vehicle remarketing through Element Fleet Management’s (her fleet management company) auction channels. Previously, each regional operation disposed of used assets independently. The consolidation achieved a remarkable 160% increase in gains on sale in just the first year. Mongelli is considered a creative, vital strategic partner of Element Fleet Management and has been an honorary member of the provider’s Client Advisory Board for the past five years, offering her support, feedback, and constructive criticism.

 

Kimberly Fisher, Global Manager, Fleet & Travel Services, National Oilwell Varco

  • Total Vehicles: 3,000
    Kimberly Fisher  -

    Kimberly Fisher

  • Staff Supervised: 6
  • Years with current fleet:  10
  • Years in industry: 20

Notable Achievements: Fisher has been in the fleet industry for more than 20 years and with National Oilwell Varco for more than 10 years.  She and her team have effectively managed the fleet as it continuously fluctuates in size to accommodate industry demands.  She currently manages the company’s expanding global fleet and travel programs. Being flexible and agile to shift as the company’s needs change is one of Fisher’s strengths.  She and her team’s ability to meet the needs of their field is key to their success as a department. In the past year, Fisher was able to successfully propose the concept of cycling services bodies onto new chassis to extend the life of the service body.  This is a change management process for her field.  Historically, the field has viewed the service body as part of a single chassis, therefore good for only one cycle.  Moving to a multi-chassis cycle will save $2 million over the next two years.  Fisher is active in industry events and serves on the GM Commercial Sounding Board and the Element Customer Advisory Board.

 

Jim Petrillo, Manager, Treasury Services & Fleet Management, FujiFilm Holdings America Corp.

  • Total Vehicles: 1,500
    Jim Petrillo  -

    Jim Petrillo

  • Staff Supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 11
  • Years in industry: 11

Notable Achievements: Petrillo has consistently demonstrated his ability to expertly manage his company’s fleet. This includes his creation and implementation of a comprehensive safety program. In 2017, Petrillo recognized a need for increased safety initiative within FujiFilm’s fleet. He elected to develop a customized safety program from scratch. In 2019, Petrillo extended this initiative to include a virtual risk manager program that was designed to work to measurably reduce collisions and incidents caused by risky driving. He has applied his industry knowledge with great effect recently by identifying and securing cost-effective vehicles which include safety features such as blindside monitors and emergency braking as standard, rather than upgrading at significant cost to more expensive models. Since implementation of the safety program, FujiFilm has experienced a more than 25% decrease in annualized incident rate. Petrillo not only weathered the COVID-19 storm in 2020, but flourished, researching and identifying suitable participants for an electric vehicle pilot program. While still in its infancy, the program has so far been a great success, with charger installations going smoothly and drivers reporting no discernable roadblocks to hamper its wider expansion. Petrillo also managed to turn a potential loss into a win when FujiFilm’s car policy was changed, eliminating car allowances. In turn, Petrillo embellished their selector with more models to allow for a higher caliber of vehicle to be chosen by employees. By adding high-quality vehicles with strong residual values, not only is Petrillo keeping a close eye on the TCO of his fleet, but simultaneously he has created an exceptional recruitment tool for FujiFilm’s human resources department.

 

Demond Hammond, Director of Fleet Operation, Service Corporation International

  • Total Vehicles: 6,500
    Demond Hammond  -

    Demond Hammond

  • Staff Supervised: 6
  • Years with current fleet 8
  • Years in industry: 22

Notable Achievements: Hammond leads policy administration, strategic vendor relationships, budgeting, vehicle acquisition and disposal, and driver safety programs. His cost-savings programs have included shortcycling, an internal vehicle transfer/refurbishment program, and niche remarketing of professional vehicles (hearses and limousines). The shortcycling strategy replaces 2-3% of the fleet vehicles that were less than two years old and worth more than their remaining lease values. Innovations have included working with design builders on creating new transport systems for operations, which will reduce fleet and provide transport efficiencies. Hammond implemented a comprehensive fleet safety program that includes driver training and scoring. This has resulted in reducing the overall crash rate and lower collison third-party expense. Providing fleet vehicles in smaller markets has been another challenge: deploying brand-new hearses was cost prohibitive in these locations. Hammond now removes and refurbishes older vehicles from major markets and assigns them to smaller markets, saving more than $1 million in operating costs. He also instituted new-vehicle on-demand planning, reducing overall acquisition costs and streamlined the order process with a new automated vehicle ordering system, hosted on existing software.

 

Lisa Wise, Category Manager, MSC  Industrial Supply Co.

  • Total Vehicles: 2,000
  • Staff Supervised: 1
    Lisa Wise  -

    Lisa Wise

  • Years with current fleet: 5
  • Years in industry: 5

Notable Achievements:  Wise is a results-driven leader with more that two decades of experience in multinational companies within the manufacturing, distribution, and service industries. She has a proven record of success in exceeding targets and business objectives through flexibility, motivation, communication, and resource management. Wise manages MSC’s U.S. and Canadian fleet operations and was instrumental in vehicle selection and procurement negotiations. By vetting various vehicle selection options and negotiating with multiple OEMs, she generated $700,000 in savings over a 2½ -year period. She also implemented a personal use charge. Expanding into another MSC business segment, Wise grew the fleet by 20%. This initiative also contributed to an improvement of 1.8 mpg, resulting in a decrease in the company’s overall carbon emissions. Wise has been a member of the Donlen Client Advisory Board for the past two years.

 

 

About the author
Mike Antich

Mike Antich

Former Editor and Associate Publisher

Mike Antich covered fleet management and remarketing for more than 20 years and was inducted into the Fleet Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Global Fleet of Hal in 2022. He also won the Industry Icon Award, presented jointly by the IARA and NAAA industry associations.

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