SALT LAKE CITY– This year's NAFA's Institute and Expo held its first-ever Green Fleet Awards. Judged by a panel of industry experts, award recipients made significant strides to reduce their company's energy consumption, lower vehicle emissions, and increase overall fleet efficiency. They were honored during a presentation May 5 in the Green Zone, a special section of the Expo that showcased environmentally friendly products and services.
George Survant, director of Fleet Services for Florida Power & Light in Riviera Beach, Fla., won NAFA's Green Fleet Award for Truck & Equipment Fleet for adopting several green fleet initiatives, including the use of B-20 biodiesel into the fleet, becoming the first utility to test and evaluate the Azure gasoline parallel hybrid electric E-450 van, purchasing one of the first plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) bucket trucks from Dueco, Inc., and initiating the development of a Hybrid Utility Truck Working Group within WestStart/CALSTART.
Steve Weir, director of the Office of Fleet Administration, and Keith T. Kerman, chief of operations for the City of New York Parks and Recreation, were the winners of NAFA's Green Fleet Award for Car & Light Truck Fleet.
Parks has created a multi-tiered program, including implementing 437 hybrid or all-electric vehicles, 83 leased hybrids, 75 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, 825 vehicles that run on biodiesel (B-20), 1,315 alternate-fuel units (77 more on order), 16 gas-run vehicles that are super ultra low emitting (SULEV), and two solar units. Parks was one of the first NYC agencies to introduce cleaner vehicles with retrofit CNG units, is currently working to be the first to convert entire components of their fleet, institutionalized cleaner fuels with only biodiesel being dispensed at 11 diesel fueling sites, added two new in-house CNG sites including a new tank at Central Park and restored units at several other parks, and is also working to promote and educate the public about alternate fuels.
Honorable mentions for NAFA's Green Fleet Award for Truck & Equipment Fleet went to Sam Swearngin, CAFM, fleet superintendent for City of Kansas City; Gerry Calk, fleet administrator for the City of Kansas City, Mo.; and Dave Meisel, director of Transportation Services for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in San Francisco.
Calk is credited with leading Kansas City in the development and implementation of its alternative-fuel program and implementing an anti-idling and environmentally preferable procurement policy. Meisel is credited with helping to increase PG&E's clean fuel fleet, developed and secured funding for a multi-year greening strategy.
Honorable mentions for NAFA's Green Fleet Award Car & Light Truck Fleet went to Diane Lopez, manager of Corporate Fleet & Limo for Abbott in Abbott Park, Ill.; Louise Davis-Lopez, supply manager, Corporate Fleet Management for Johnson and Johnson; and Suzanne Gallagher, commodity manager, Corporate Fleet Management for Johnson and Johnson.
Lopez was instrumental in implementing a comprehensive program designed to cost-effectively reduce emissions from their fleet. Abbott encouraged their drivers to choose more environmentally friendly vehicles, offered vehicle upgrade incentives on their "greener" vehicles, and compared GHG emissions footprint of the U.S. sales fleet twice a year to ensure the environmental footprint continues to reduce over time.
