The National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) has opened its latest chapter in Arizona, with the charter-signing ceremony on Sept. 16, 1999, in Phoenix. Making regular meetings easily accessible for fleet managers in Arizona was a key factor in the formation of NAFA’s 35th chapter, which is to be based in Phoenix, said Mike Senory, manager of transportation services for the Salt River Project, a public utility company in Phoenix. "There haven’t been a lot of Arizona fleet managers who wanted to make the trip, either monthly or quarterly, to California to attend the Pacific Southwest chapter meetings," said Senory, who is also chapter chair. Another factor has been the business growth in Arizona, specifically in the Phoenix metropolitan area. "A lot of companies are locating their headquarters here in Arizona, and, consequently, more fleets are coming into the Phoenix metropolitan area. So we’re getting a greater populace of fleets and fleet managers," Senory said. Arizona’s initial attempts to form a new chapter in the early ’90s had been unsuccessful due to insufficient membership, Senory said. But early this year, renewed efforts to create a new chapter in Arizona were started by current Vice Chair Mary Korpan, purchasing manager for United Blood Services, Program Chair Bruce Kosaveach, account manager for GE Capital Fleet Services, and Membership Chair Lisa Riley-Lazarus, vice president of National Auto Mart. The NAFA board of trustees granted a two-year provisional charter in June to form the Arizona chapter. "We’re provisional for two years, and that’s basically to see if the chapter will succeed, to make sure the chapter will attract enough members and affiliates. At the end of two years, if the chapter is still successful, we become a full-charter chapter," Senory said. The Arizona chapter received a $1,000 check as a start-up fund from NAFA, which was presented by Linda Carlton, NAFA Western region trustee, who is also utilities fleet manager for the city of Tacoma, WA. Currently, the Arizona chapter has 18 members. "Preferably, we’d like to have 25 to 30 members," Senory said. The foremost goal of the new chapter is to make it succeed. "Arizona has an excellent chance to become one of the premier chapters in the U.S. We have such an influx of people that we’re constantly getting new talent in different businesses. It gives us an opportunity to have a wide variety of fleet applications – from utilities to municipalities to leasing companies," Senory said.