ST. LOUIS – Lee Miller, senior manager of Fleet Services for Boehringer Ingelheim received Automotive Fleet magazine's 2012 Professional Fleet Manager of the year honor. In addition, Maggie Cole, director of environmental, safety & health (ESH) for Monsanto, was named Fleet Financials magazine's 2012 Fleet Executive of the Year. Both received their respective awards on Sunday, April 22 in St. Louis.

Instituted in 1985, the Fleet Manager of the Year award is sponsored by Automotive Fleet magazine, Wheels Inc., and the Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA).

The other three finalists for the 2012 Professional Fleet Manager of the Year award included Donna Bibbo, CAFM, CCTE,manager of Fleet & Travel for Novo Nordisk Inc.; John Dmochowsky, CAFM, sales fleet manager for Kraft Foods; and Dick Malcom, fleet administrator for State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. For 2012, the industry nominated 16 fleet managers for the award.

For the 2012 Fleet Manager of the Year award, a 34-member judging panel selected Miller. The panel included past winners, manufacturers, auction representatives, fleet management services, dealers, and the media.

"It’s a true honor to be nominated, but to actually win is incredible," Miller told Automotive Fleet. "It’s the epitome of your career when you can come this far and work with so many people. I say it over and over: You cannot do this by yourself. You have to have a team, you have to have the partners, the vendors, your colleagues, fellow fleet managers — that’s how I got where I am is with all their help and support, and I’m very fortunate to be in the few now that have gotten this award,  and I’m honored."

Miller is a five-time nominee for the Professional Fleet Manager of the Year award and also made it the final three in 2011.

She will be featured on the cover of Automotive Fleet’s May issue.

The 2012 Fleet Executive of the Year award was sponsored by CEI and Fleet Financials magazine. The other three finalists for the 2012 Fleet Executive of the Year award were Caryn Helmandollar, director of risk management for Ferguson Enterprises, Inc., Michael Ahart, vice president, transportation, for Dean Foods Company, and Paul Youngpeter, director of fleet for Rollins, Inc.

Monsanto’s Cole is responsible for the company’s Global Vehicle Safety and Global Off The Job Safety programs, as well as U.S. Commercial ESH. The Global Vehicle Safety Team works closely with the regional fleet management teams and DOT function (within the U.S. operations) to align policies to address vehicle requirements, driver policies, and training requirements within each of the regions.

"I am honored to accept this award on behalf of Monsanto,” Cole said. “I am very proud of the passion and focus Monsanto continues to place on improving road and occupant safety for our employees as well as our families, the communities where we live and operate, and our customers.”

Cole will be the keynote speaker at the Fleet Safety Conference, which will be held in Schaumburg, Ill., May 22-23. She will also be featured on the cover of the July/August issue of Fleet Financials magazine and an in-depth article will discuss her achievements at Monsanto.