Former NAFA President Gayle Pratt to Retire from EcoLab

Gayle Pratt, director global fleet for Ecolab, Inc. in St. Paul, Minn., retired March 22, 2013, capping a 35-year career that included management of corporate, public, and private fleet, along with travel operations. Succeeding Pratt is Andy Coulter, director of indirect procurement and global fleet for EcoLab, Inc.

Pratt worked at Ecolab from 2004-2013 in global supply chain, procurement function. Pratt directed the North American fleet operations of 8,000 vehicles in sales and service fleets, and the global fleet of 18,000 vehicles in 78 countries. Her responsibilities included strategic global and regional supplier sourcing and relationships for products/services, fleet budgets, and sustainability plans. Among her achievements, she directed the fleet cost savings programs, and integrated fleet services for the 16 Ecolab businesses.

Pratt also volunteered for NAFA Fleet Management Association since 1994 in committee chair, officer, and trustee positions. She was NAFA president from 2007 to 2009.

Prior to this, Pratt worked for the State of Michigan from 1998 to 2004. She worked in the Department of Management and Budget as director of logistics and director of vehicle & travel services.

She directed and oversaw the logistics division that consisted of mail and delivery trucks and routes, heavy equipment trucks and routes, state warehouses, state and federal surplus warehouses and stores. During her career with the State of Michigan, she also directed the vehicle and travel services for the state, which consisted of hundreds of locations throughout Michigan, and 28 departments. She oversaw all aspects of the internal service fund and business for vehicle and travel services. The fleet exceeded 12,000 vehicles with centralized fleet maintenance garage operations, including collision centers, paint booths, satellite garage sites, centralized fueling, and underground storage tanks and monitoring systems.

From 1989 to 1998, Pratt worked for LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America) in Burlington, N.C., as the director of fleet and distribution. She managed more than 3,500 light-duty vehicles in North America. Pratt began her fleet career in 1978 at Onan Corp., a Cummins subsidiary, in Fridley, Minn.

“I’m very excited to enjoy time off to relax, do a little gardening, and enjoy life,” said Pratt.

By Mike Antich