A History of Women in Fleet

Martha Dunlap, former executive director of the Chicago based National Truck Leasing System, receives a bouquet of roses from W.C. Warren, Nationalease Purchasing Corp. The roses were given to Miss Dunlap at a testimonial luncheon in her honor during the System's 23rd annual meeting. In recognition of her 23 years of service and of her contributions to the general truck lease industry, she was also presented a book of letters written by members of the system. Also in the photo are John Bartol (far left) and Howard Willett (center).

Photo: Bobit

The 1980s brought an entirely different breed of women into advertisements: company principals. These serious minded business women were often fleet managers, sales representatives, and leaders in their fields. In this US Fleet Leasing ad, Diane Badame and Ann Jones were the stars.

Photo: Bobit

Josie Sharp, 1999 Professional Fleet Manager of the Year, accepting her award from AF publisher Ed Bobit.

Photo: Bobit

In an article in the June 1970 issue of AF entitled "Gentlemen, here is the future," we profiled Lee Diamond who controlled 250 cars for Pepsi. "As for the new feminist movement, she is very sympathetic, but no pioneer. Be that as it may, her work for Pepsi and the NY chapter of NAFA make her an important member of the fleet industry."

Photo: Bobit

Dorothy C. Hubbard managed 800 cars for McKesson & Robbins. The article from the 1970 issue had the following to say about her: "A woman of wit, Dorothy C. Hubbard asks the question, 'Why are the girls who were so bright in school taking dictation from the fellows who used to copy their notes?' But in her job at McKesson & Robbins, where she handles a fleet of 800 cars on finance lease, she finds that, 'being feminine makes the job sweeter.' Her hobbies include travel and French. She’ll be pursuing both this year on her ninth jaunt to Europe."

Photo: Bobit

In 1981 a group of women, led by Kay Edelson (left) and Carol Sommer (right), in the automotive industry formed an organization where they could provide information exchange, networking, workshops, employment referrals, and elevation of the standards. The group was called the National Women's Automotive Associates.

Photo: Bobit

Theresa Belding, senior manager, fleet services for Forest Pharmaceuticals, is AF's 2011 Professional Fleet Manager of the Year. A 35-member judging panel selected Belding.

Said Belding of the award,""Eighteen years ago when I started in fleet I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Fleet has always been my passion. You cannot succeed in this job by yourself. Your company has to be behind you, your family has to be behind you. NAFA and AFLA are great support organizations. You also need solid business partners with sound advice. I've been able to benchmark with my pharmaceutical peers. Despite the f

Photo: Bobit

Christy Coyte, global fleet manager for Johnson Controls, Inc., was presented the 2009 Professional Fleet Manager of the Year award. A six-time nominee and three-time award finalist, Coyte was recognized for her years as a leader in the fleet industry profession.

"It means so much to be acknowledged by my peers for this honorable achievement! Especially in today's challenging environment when so many companies are eliminating fleet managers, it makes me feel very humbled and grateful to Johnson Controls for recognizing our fleet team's value in managing one of the largest commercial fleets

Photo: Bobit

"If you have a yen for Chinese food, Ellen Hayes is the girl to see during off hours," read our article in 1970 profiling women in fleet. We noted that she felt "strongly that women should receive recognition for a job well done."

Photo: Bobit

1998 AF Professional Fleet Manager of the Year, Sue Miller of McDonalds.

Photo: Bobit

In a 24-year fleet career that began in 1964, Helen Smorgans managed fleets for Johnson & Johnson corporate and 10 other J&J companies. She was co-founder of the NAFA New Jersey chapter and also served on the organization's National Board of Governors. She retired from Johnson & Johnson and was inducted into the AF Fleet Hall of Fame in 2008.

Photo: Bobit

Helene Kamon began her industry career in 1970 working for Dealers CadiLease, later purchased by Union Leasing. She went on to manage Wendy's fleet for 11 years starting with 350 vehicles, which grew to 2,000 in the U.S. and Canada by the time she left. Before joining AmeriFleet in her current position as vice president of sales, Kamon ran her own driveaway company for seven years. An active figure in the fleet industry, Kamon was the first female president of AFLA (1988-1989) and is a NAFA Affiliate.

Photo: Bobit

Dolores Biele managed 1,150 finance leased cars in her car for Johns-Manville Corp. Our article in June 1970 said of Biele, "No exponent of the feminist movement, she has found in her 9 years as an administrator that in dealing with irate cost salesmen, 'a soft feminine voice' can go a long way in soothing the savage beast."

Photo: Bobit

Betty Johnson controlled 252 cars for Riker Laboratories, a position she'd already been in 11 years. From the article: "Johnson feels that women are slowly making progress in the world of commerce and prefers a 'no comment' response to the question of feminine miltancy."

Photo: Bobit

Evelyn Millard characterized herself as "one of those lucky people who enjoys her job and looks forward to coming to work each day." With an 800-car fleet, she felt that her position had nothing to do with being a woman. "The fact that my company has allowed me to handle the fleet for 6 years speaks for itself."

Photo: Bobit

By the early 1980s it was not uncommon to find women in managerial positions at leasing companies, dealerships, lessors, and in fleet management. This 1986 ad for Bigger Chevrolet featured the staff, which included more women than men, including Fleet Manager Dee Vaszily (whose automotive career began in 1956).

Photo: Bobit

After 20 years at Hallmark, Helen Bland requested a transfer to the newly formed fleet department and started as assistant to the fleet manager. After interviewing the third candidate for the revolving-door fleet manager job, Bland asked for the job herself. "Helen succeeded in a male-dominated field by considering herself an equal and not expecting special treatment," says Debbie Mize, who succeeded Bland in 1987. "It was harder than normal in the beginning, but she gained respect and knowledge from hard work and treating everyone equal." Bland was the first female president of NAFA and is a founding member of the

Photo: Bobit

In 1970, Haskell Pontiac focused its ad on fleet manager Kelly Ring. The ad featured no sexual inuendo or double entendres, just the professionalism of the team.

Photo: Bobit