Automotive Fleet magazine will introduce the industry’s first-ever Hall of Fame Award, recognizing industry leaders and pioneers in the commercial fleet industry. To be eligible for induction in the AF Hall of Fame, nominees must be fleet industry leaders who have a minimum of 10 years of fleet experience in making significant contributions to the commercial fleet management profession.

The Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) is the exclusive sponsor for the Hall of Fame Award, which will be presented Sept. 11 at the annual AFLA conference at the Camelback Inn located in Scottsdale, Ariz. (See www.aflaonline.com for full conference agenda.)

“AFLA is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of this prestigious industry award, which recognizes the pioneers and innovators of the commercial fleet industry,” said Elsie Lucia, president of AFLA. Lucia is the director of fleet services for the Estée Lauder Companies Inc., based in New York City. “Those of us in the industry today owe so much to these industry leaders. AFLA is honored to be a part of memorializing the achievements of these giants of our industry,” added Lucia.

Future inductees to the Hall of Fame will be determined annually by an Automotive Fleet judging committee that will also include the current AFLA president.

During the 2008 AFLA Conference, 10 honorees will be inducted in the Hall of Fame. Installation of additional inductees will continue with one fewer inductee each year. In 2009, nine honorees will be inducted, eight in 2010, etc., until only three will be installed in 2015. Thereafter, three honorees will be inducted in AF’s Hall of Fame annually.

Voting for the winners will take place on automotive-fleet.com (that also includes a link from the AFLA Web site). Voting is open to all members of the fleet industry. However, the judging committee retains the right to appoint individuals to the Hall of Fame who may deserve recognition. (Many of the early commercial fleet industry pioneers are not well known among current industry professionals.)

“AFLA is honored to host the presentation of the Hall of Fame Award at our annual conference each September,” said Lucia.

The Hall of Fame inductees will be displayed on Bobit Business Media’s headquarters in Torrance, Calif., on a special wall. “It will be available to view with credit to AFLA for the exclusive support during nominations, elections, and presentations, as well as recognition in print and on www.fleet-central.com,” said Ed Bobit, CEO of Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleetmagazine.

Twenty fleet industry leaders have been automatically inducted into the Hall of Fame. They are:

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

View the entire list of Automotive Fleet Hall of Fame inductees.