Recognizing commercial and public sector fleet managers for outstanding achievements in reducing energy consumption and vehicle emissions and increasing overall fleet efficiency, the NAFA Fleet Management Association presented its firstever Green Fleet Awards at the 2008 Institute & Expo in Salt Lake City.

Individuals from six fleets were honored in two categories for implementing “pioneering, innovative, and creative programs to help with their companies’ overall ‘going green’ initiatives,” said Doug Weichman, CAFM, NAFA treasurer and reporting officer for the organization’s Fuels & Technology Advisory Council.

Director of fleet management for Palm Beach County, Fla., and instrumental in establishing the recognition, Weichman presented the awards.

Two public sector fleets captured the top Green Fleet awards. George Survant, director fleet services, Florida Power & Light (FPL) in Riviera Beach, Fla., was recognized in the truck and equipment fleet category.

Survant’s green fleet initiatives include implementing B-20 biodiesel use, testing and evaluating the Azure gasoline parallel hybrid electric E-450 van, purchasing one of Dueco, Inc.’s first plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) bucket trucks, and initiating development of the Hybrid Utility Truck Working Group within WestStart/CALSTART. FPL operates a fleet of 3,600 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including 113 hybrid vehicles.

Steve Weir, fleet director for the City of New York, earned the Green Fleet award in the car and light truck fleet category. Under Weir’s direction, the NYC Department of Parks created a multitiered fleet program that incorporated more than 2,750 alt-fueled or powered vehicles, including hybrid, all-electric, compressed natural gas (CNG), B-20, solar, and super ultra low emitting (SULEV) units. The parks department also introduced cleaner vehicles with retrofit CNG units and operates 11 biodieselonly fueling sites.

Gerry Calk, CAFM, fleet administrator, City of Kansas City, Mo., and Dave Meisel, director of transportation services for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), San Francisco, each received an honorable mention in the truck and equipment fleet category.

Calk is credited with developing and implementing Kansas City’s alternative fuel program and its anti-idling and environmentally preferable procurement policy. Meisel developed and secured funding for PG&E’s multiyear greening strategy.

In the car and light-truck fleet category, honorable mentions were awarded to Diane Lopez, manager, corporate fleet & limo for Abbott, and Louise Davis-Lopez, CFM/CAFM, fleet manager, and Suzanne Gallagher, commodities manager, for Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

Abbott’s Lopez was recognized for the company’s sales fleet vehicle emissions reduction program. At J&J, Davis-Lopez and Gallagher incorporated more than 1,200 hybrids in the company’s 11,000-vehicle fleet with a 5,000-hybrid unit goal by 2013. They also moved the vehicle selector to four- and five-cylinder models.