40 Sustainability All-Stars

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The first-ever Sustainability All-Star award recipients will be recognized Oct. 4 at the Green Fleet Conference in Texas. Green Fleet magazine staff reviewed nominees submitted online based on professional longevity, accomplishments (significant sustainability achievements), innovation (innovative ways individuals have contributed to reducing emissions and fuel consumption), and overall industry involvement.

Altogether, these fleet professionals have reduced greeenhouse gas emissions, created green fleet and sustainability policies, and have dedicated their time and energy to ensuring the path to sustainability is clear.
The following are the 40 individuals, including commercial and public sector fleet managers as well as vendors/suppliers recognized for their outstanding achievements in green fleet sustainability in 2011.

Armstrong has been in the fleet industry for 20 years. Because ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas is an industry leader in sustainability for vertical transportation, Armstrong has had a dedicated focus on fleet sustainability for the past three years. With fleet being a major contributor to the company’s overall carbon footprint, it was necessary to establish goals for environmental impact reductions.

The first goal was to reduce fleet fuel consumption 20 percent by 2015 through the reduction of engine and vehicle size. Over the past three years, Armstrong converted 18 percent of ThyssenKrupp’s total fleet to four-cylinder engines.

The second goal was to find and implement the best alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) for Fleet. While Armstrong wanted to reduce fleet’s carbon footprint through the use of AFVs, he also wanted to be mindful of the function required of that vehicle for the driver. Another challenge to this process was today’s competitive and political environment, which makes it difficult to understand and find the best AFVs for a fleet.

To help analyze all the different choices, Armstrong created the five Cs of analyzing AFVs:

   1.      Is it Clean?
   2.      Does it Conserve? 
   3.      Is it Cost effective?
   4.      Does it make Common sense?
   5.      Can you Commit?

This approach allowed him to effectively and objectively analyze each fuel/vehicle type for the ThyssenKrupp fleet. He said, the five Cs approach can work for any fleet. However, the end results would vary depending on a company’s operation, available infrastructure, vehicle types, etc. For ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas, propane/autogas was the only source that qualified in each of the five categories.

As a result, the ThyssenKrupp fleet has 37 propane vehicles either on the road or on-order with a goal of 300 propane vehicles in the fleet by 2015, or roughly 10 percent of its U.S. fleet. ThyssenKrupp also put its first EV (Ford Transit Connect Electric) on the road in Seattle, Wash. While Armstrong said he has found the EV to be a viable option for the future of the fleet and the automotive industry, this technology will need plenty of advancement in the mileage range capabilities and be more cost-effective before EVs can be utilized in any volume for ThyssenKrupp’s fleet. He said he has “dabbled” in the use of hybrid vehicles. However, due to the lack of city driving, he has found hybrids are not a viable option for ThyssenKrupp’s fleet.

In order to share his knowledge of and experience with propane/autogas fleet vehicles, he has been very active in industry organizations and events. For instance, he participated in the San Diego Green Fleet Conference in October 2010. During the conference, Roush Performance unveiled ThyssenKrupp’s propane van as part of the introduction of Roush Clean Tech.  In addition, he served as a keynote speaker at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in May 2011 for the Propane Engine Fuel Summit. ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas as a whole also supports and participates in the Clean City Coalition and attended the Clean Cities Coalition annual meeting in Indianapolis in June 2011.

 

Battersby has 25 years of experience in the fleet industry with 15 years in alternative-fuel vehicles, including the implementation of the first ever alternative-fuel vehicle program for Airborne Express freight company, the EV Sacramento program, and the State of California CNG and hybrid electric vehicle expansion programs. He is responsible for fielding over 2,500 alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicles, and was involved in the design and construction of numerous alternative-fuel and EV charging stations throughout California. Richard has spoken frequently on clean air vehicle grant funding at industry events, and, in the past two years, has participated in the successful award of $10.9 million in clean air vehicle project funding. He has also served as the Coordinator for the East Bay Clean Cities Coalition since 1996 and currently Chairs the ARB Advisory Council for the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) and sits on the Steering Committee of the Bay Area EV Strategic Council.

 

Bibbo has managed fleets for almost 22 years, first with Pharmacia/Amersham/GE Healthcare and currently with Novo Nordisk Inc. She has grown Novo Nordisk’s fleet from 1,265 vehicles five years ago to 3,100 vehicles today.  

The company is very concerned with being environmentally responsible, and, thus, it has had a “green” initiative since 2007.  Novo Nordisk has done the following: downsized to four-cylinder engines, included hybrid options, and included diesel options. It is currently exploring the idea of charging personal use based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle being driven, and taking the monies collected and donating them to an environmental cause. 

Novo Nordisk has decreased its fleet’s average CO₂ per mile by 7.8 percent from 2007 to 2010, and has increased fuel mileage by 8.4 percent all without sacrificing the provision of family-sized (seven-passenger) vehicles to its drivers.  

 

 

 

Remaining active in the fleet industry for more than 50 years, Bobit is chairman and founder of Bobit Business Media (BBM), Automotive Fleet editor, and a founding AFLA member. Established in 1961, BBM now produces more than 20 publications, seven targeted specifically to the fleet industry. Bobit Business Media was founded in 1961 with the launching of Automotive Fleet in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. By 1964, Bobit acquired two more publications, Metro and School Bus Fleet, to strengthen its position in the transportation market. Seeking warmer weather, the company moved to Southern California in 1977 and established an office in Redondo Beach.

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Bond has taken a broad look at Alameda County’s environmental stewardship with more than 18 years of fleet experience in both public and private agencies. He analyzes vehicle emissions from both the county fleet and employees’ vehicles. Doug is addressing all of the concerns by purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles, purchasing all-electric and hybrid vehicles, running B20 for the county’s diesel vehicles, using recycled oil, antifreeze and transmission fluid, adding GPS, implementing Invers motor pool, adding laptops for paperless work orders, and promoting carpooling and alternatives for employees to get to and from work throughout the day. Doug is the project manager for a grant partnership involving eleven local government agencies to purchase 90 all-electric vehicles and charging stations.

Michael Britt serves as Director of Maintenance and Engineering for all international operations for UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services. Britt joined UPS in 1986 and worked in various capacities including operations, industrial engineering, and automotive engineering. He spent five years in California as the region automotive engineering manager and gained a clear understanding of the environmental concerns there. Britt has led efforts in alternative-fuel projects and technology development for the domestic fleet and recently for the international fleet. These projects include compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, electric technology, hydrogen fuel cells, and hybrid vehicle development, including both hybrid electric and hydraulic hybrid technologies. Presently, he manages maintenance and engineering for all international operations and continues to manage fleet sustainability issues in the U.S. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, DOE Review Panel and served with The United Way as a member of the Board of Directors in several California locations. He received a BS degree in Automotive Technology and a MBA in Management.

 

Calk has more than 45 years of fleet experience, 21 of which were spent at the executive management level. He spent seven years managing county government fleets ranging in size from 400 to 1,400 units, followed by 10 years as the state fleet manager for South Carolina, managing more than 17,000 units, followed by four years as the fleet administrator for Kansas City with over 3,500 units, and then as the fleet officer for Austin, managing a fleet of over 5,400 units. 

He has extensive experience in all aspects of fleet and fuel systems management and was nationally recognized for implementation and use of alternative fuels and management of sustainable fleets. 

 

Campbell was a mechanic before becoming a fleet manager 20 years ago. He has been the director of fleet management for the City of Fort Wayne since 2003. Campbell’s 31 years of experience and leadership in working with private and municipality fleets offers great value to the City and the industry. He said he constantly looks at ways to improve and has implemented new initiatives on environmental issues: switching the city’s diesel fleet to biodiesel (B20), E85 for gas engine vehicles, and putting in place the replacement plan justification for the city hybrid program. Currently he heads up and is working on the city-wide electric plug-in vehicle program.   

The Fort Wayne fleet was the first in the state to do an idle reduction program with the diesel engines, using software already developed by the manufacturers.  As a result, the city fleet has had a reduction of over 24,000 gallons of B20 with the idle reduction policies that have been put in place for the past 6 years. The “Green City Initiative” has impacted reductions in emissions from city equipment by 30 percent using B-20 (biodiesel) and 60,000 gallons of B-100 in 2010. According to Campbell, 52 percent of fleet can run on E-85 (it used 82,000 gallons in 2010) and 7 percent of the fleet consists of full hybrid vehicles. Among the newest vehicles put in service during the first quarter 2011 was a hybrid concept jet truck put in service. Campbell’s goal is a 60-percent fuel reduction for same type of current units. An article in the August issue of Municipal Sewer and Water (www.mswmag.com) spotlighted this project. 

 

 

Chesson’s career with NASA began in 2004, following several years with United Space Alliance and Lockheed. 

Chesson’s efforts have displaced millions of gallons of petroleum and initiated numerous programs and outreach. He was instrumental in coordinating The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) obtaining 39 EVs and 24 AFVs. KSC’s fleet, of more than 1,500 units is over 75 percent green. He’s developed Space Act Agreements partnering with Honda, BMW, and Hybrid Technologies Inc. for demonstration, test, and evaluation. He consistently researches and investigates innovative means for making the agency as green as possible.

 

 

Dafoe is a Senior Project Leader for the Clean Cities program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. For the past 15 years, she has managed the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center and assisted Clean Cities’ almost 90 coordinators with all their informational needs. Through this network of coordinators, Clean Cities enables fleets to reduce their petroleum consumption by providing them with data and tools through its websites and technical assistance project, as well as with connections to local and federal funding opportunities. She also helped Clean Cities and its coalitions displace of more than 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum through education and technical assistance.

 

For the past five years, Douglas has led Kenworth’s “Green Initiatives” covering the growing markets for diesel-electric hybrid and natural gas trucks and has worked directly with the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, and Seattle on clean truck strategies. During his 30-year career in the transportation business, he has held numerous positions within PACCAR, including Kenworth, PACCAR Financial, and PacLease, that included both domestic and international assignments. Douglas holds bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics and a master of business administration.

 

Frodl has eight years of experience in the fleet industry, and she has spent the past six years focusing on fleet sustainability products and services as part of GE’s ecomagination initiative. She’s been a pioneer in sustainable fleet transportation by driving adoption of EVs across the industry and within GE’s own fleet as part of the company’s landmark commitment to purchase 25,000 EVs by 2015.  She’s been a speaker at numerous key industry events and an expert source quoted in numerous media articles to promote EV adoption. She is leading GE’s EV Experience Tour, engaging more than 2,000 influential stakeholders across North America in a dialogue about EVs. Frodl also leads GE’s global relationship with EV OEMs and continues to play an important role in GE’s partnership with the Department of Energy’s National Clean Fleets and the Electrification Coalition. In 2012, she will launch GE’s state-of-the-art Customer Experience Center to showcase alternative-fuel products for the fleet industry. 

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Greg Glander has been in the Toyota Corporate Fleet Dept. for 12 years (and with Toyota for 23 years). His first assignment involved the successful launch of the first generation Toyota RAV4EV, which continued with Glander’s involvement in fleet sales with Toyota’s first generation Prius.

He was recognized at Toyota for selling the company’s first 350 “first generation” Prius models to the City of New York. Throughout the years, Glander has represented Toyota at various “green fleet” trade shows, and has assisted with Toyota’s prominence in the area of advanced technology vehicles as it relates to fleet sales.

He is a member of the NAFA Fleet Management Association and in his current assignment, he is responsible for Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid and RAV4EV fleet sales strategy, as Toyota looks forward to the successful fleet launch of those two products.

 

Head has been dedicated to sustainability in the Fleet Management industry for more than 20 years. He has been a leader in promoting hybrid-electric vehicles and developing the infrastructure necessary to grow this rapidly expanding market segment. His efforts were recognized by bestowing the County of Sonoma the “Most EV Ready Community in the Bay Area” award. Below is a summary of all of his accomplishments, awards, innovative work, and dedication to the industry in the area of sustainability over the last 20 years.

Vehicle Related Sustainability Achievements

• 2011  Achieved an 18-percent reduction in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from the year 2000 baseline while the Vehicle Miles Traveled by the County Fleet Increased substantially from the year 2000 baseline.
• 2011  Purchased first of its kind Hybrid Diesel Electric (HEV)Prisoner Transport Truck and Module with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 31,000 pounds.
• 2011  Purchased our first two Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) Diesel Aerial Boom Trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 19,500 pounds.
• 2011  Purchased first production model Nissan Leaf battery all electric car (BEV) for municipal use.
• 2010  Purchased our first Hybrid Electric (HEV) Gasoline Step Van with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,050 pounds.
• 2009  Purchased our first Hybrid Electric (HEV) Diesel Aerial Boom Truck with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 33,000 pounds.
• 2008  Converted first Toyota Prius to a Plug-In Electric Hybrid Vehicle.  We currently have 9 Prius models that have been converted to PHEV’s.  Fuel economy has jumped to over 80 mpg in some of these converted models.
• 2008  First GPS system installed to monitor vehicle engine operations and through the use data acquisition modify driving habits to reduce fuel consumption.  To date we have over 125 GPS units installed in various types of cars, truck, and heavy duty vehicles.
• 2008  Established the “Slow Down Sonoma County” outreach program promoting sustainability through reductions in fuel consumption and emissions by promoting changes in driver habits.  The program focuses around four simple changes, driving the speed limit, maintaining constant speeds, making smooth starts and stops, and limiting idling.  The outreach includes posters, presentations, and internet marketing.   
• 2007  County adopts Fleet Operations recommended County wide anti-idling policy to reduce fuel consumption and emissions created by excessive idling of vehicles and equipment.
• 2002-2006  Purchased a total of 53 hybrid electric (HEV) cars to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs as compared to a normal gasoline powered car.
• 1994  Installation of a CNG fuel supply trailer and conversion of 10 vehicles to bi-fuel CNG.
• 1991  Participated in a joint sustainability project with General Motors and Pacific, Gas, & Electric Company in the operation of a 1991 All Electric Chevrolet G Van in a real world environment to access the viability of the technology for fleet use.

Innovations

• 2011  Completed first-of-its kind Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program with Installation Guidelines to be used by municipalities to navigate through the regulatory compliance and installation requirements to develop an EV ready community.
• 2011  County is currently a member and a working partner of the Bay Area Local Government EV Demonstration Project which will provide 90 all electric vehicle (Nissan Leafs and Ford Transit Connects) to 11 agencies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.  The project included the installation of 22 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Charging Stations (EVSE’s). 
• 2011  Part of the Marin Electric Vehicle Alliance and are seeking grant funding for 25 public access chargers to be located in Sonoma County.
• 2011  Working with the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District and Charge Point America for grant funding for additional 35 public access EVSEs to be located in Sonoma County.
• 2009   First government agency in California to be certified to perform our own heavy duty truck diesel retrofit kit installations. County has installed more than 34 kits to date that are resulting in reductions of exhaust Particulate Matter (PM) by at least 85 percent per vehicle.
• 2006  County adopted a Climate Protection Plan that includes a goal of GHG emissions reductions of 2,401 tons by 2015 by the County fleet.
• 2006  Established a Fleet Purchasing Policy to replace all general use sedans with Hybrid vehicles.  Since 2002 we have replaced over 242 conventional vehicles with hybrids, PHEV’s or all electric vehicles.

 

Under Howdyshell’s 13 years of leadership, fleet has deployed alternative-fuel vehicles that include methanol, NEV, CNG, hybrid, diesel hybrid, and flex fuel. He has also invested in alt fuel infrastructure that has included methanol, electricity, CNG, and E-85. Fleet currently offers E-85 and CNG, and Level II electric charging stations later this year.

He is active with the Executive Office in policy decisions such as the 25 mpg minimum requirement and reducing the fleet by more than 11% over the past 2 fiscal years. He received the 2009 NAFA Green Fleet award, placed in the top 40 Government Fleet Green Fleets in 2009 and 2010 as well as Green Fleet Environmental Leadership awards.

 

Ivy has been leading the charge to “green” Denver’s fleet for 20 years, beginning with development of a City motor center. He blazed new trails in 2000 with acquisition of a fleet of hybrids — some of the first in the U.S. He implemented Denver’s widespread use of alternative fuels, emissions control technology, and GPS. Ivy guided construction of a new, sustainably-built fleet maintenance facility and develops policies that support fleet utilization and the purchase of the most fuel-efficient and least-polluting vehicles available. His incorporation of new green technologies promotes ongoing development of sustainable fleet transportations solutions.

 

Karbowski has 43 years of heavy-duty truck and bus fleet experience and 34 years in transit. He is an expert on the use of alternative fuels in heavy-duty transit buses and managed MTA’s Methanol and Ethanol fleets as well as MTA’s first fuel cell bus.

He assisted in the MTA move to more than 2,300 CNG buses and pioneered synthetic transmission fluids for fleet use. Karbowski is the chair of the APTA Clean Propulsion & Support Technology Committee, chair of the CTA Maintenance Committee, completed Foothill Transit fleet conversion to 300 CNG buses, manages Foothill Transit Zero Emission Electric Bus Project, and is a member of the AQMD Clean Air Awards Review Committee.

 

 

Kilroy has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PHH Arval since March 2001. Mr. Kilroy is responsible for the management of PHH Arval. From May 1997 to March 2001, Mr. Kilroy served as Senior Vice President, Business Development, responsible for new client sales, client relations and marketing for PHH Arval's U.S. operations. Mr. Kilroy joined PHH in 1976 as an Account Executive in the Truck and Equipment Division and was promoted to increasingly responsible management positions, including Head of Diversified Services and Financial Services.

 

Koss’ commitment to sustainable initiatives began in 2001 with the development of a fleet sustainability strategy, focused on the needs of our customer, and has continued for the past 11 years.

Koss received customer input through participation/presenting at events including Green Fleet, AFVI, ACT Expo, NAFA (Green Fleet Award Judge) and Ford’s Fleet Advisory Board. This led Ford NAFLRO to increase its E-85 lineup, introduce B-20 capability, launch CNG/LPG capable powertrains, and expand its electrified portfolio increasing customer’s ability to achieve their sustainability objectives.

Koss received a 2010 AFVI Industry Excellence Award on behalf of the Ford Motor Company for advancing the use of alternative fuels, vehicles, and advanced technologies.

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Leech has served as the City of Sacramento fleet manager for the past five years. Under Keith’s leadership, the City’s Fleet has achieved the following:

• The Fleet Sustainability Policy creating the Sustainable Fleet Program was adopted by the Sacramento City Council in 2007.
• Fleet telematics and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology has provided more efficient driving routes, tracking, and reporting of idling time as demonstrated through a Return on Investment (ROI) study prepared by Avion Corporation.
• 2010 Municipal Fleet Benchmarking Study results for the City of Sacramento are summarized as follows from 2009 to 2010:
• CNG, LNG & E-85 fuel consumption rose 205%
• Consumed 7.8% less gas in 2010 than the 2010 industry
• Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 1,717 metric tons, representing a 7.6% decrease.

Leech is also the Chairman of the Greater Sacramento Regional Clean Air Coalition (Clean Cities).

 

Cox Enterprises’ national sustainability program, Cox Conserves, began in 2007, and the company embraces various initiatives to ensure an eco-friendly fleet. Through its Mobile Resource Management (GeoManager GPS) project, the company reduced idle times as much as 84 percent, decreased vehicle mileage by 15 percent, and cut fuel consumption by 8 percent, depending on the market.  Of the 13,000 cars in Cox’s fleet, 90 percent are low emission vehicles. This year, Cox is purchasing 600 new bucket trucks that are electric over hydraulic.

At its corporate headquarters, employees with fuel-efficient vehicles have access to the premium parking spots. Those participating in alternative transportation can check-out a hybrid car during the day for offsite meetings. To participate in Cox Enterprises’ Executive Vehicle program, company leaders are incented to select cars that achieve 27 mpg or more. Clean Air Campaign recognized Cox with a PACE Large Business Award in 2006 and a PACE Innovator Award for a Green Fleet in 2008.

 

 

Lewis has served as a fleet professional for more than 21­ years at UCLA. Her overall sustainable transportation goals are to reduce energy consumption and transition to renewable power sources. These goals have been met by the 39.2% inventory of green vehicles to include CNG, hybrid, flex-fuel, electric, and fuel-cell hybrid vehicles of the 1,037 vehicle inventory. The fleet program partners with academic units to further the advancement of research projects for OEMs and fuel suppliers. UCLA has been recognized as an industry leader for innovative transportation programs and as an early adopter of new vehicle technologies.  UCLA has been honored with three SCAQMD Clean Air Awards for innovative transportation programs. Lewis is an active NAFA member and has served on a national level as Curriculum Chair and as a committee member. She received an Environmental Leadership Award in 2009.­­­­­ 

 

Longobart has dedicated almost thirty years of his life to green fleet management.  A Government Fleet Magazine Visionary Leadership Award winner, he has implemented forward-thinking initiatives in El Segundo, Calif., and Inglewood, Calif., using environmentally sustainable practices to decrease greenhouse gases, waste, and operating costs. A leader in alternative fuels and facility management, Longobart is a sought-after keynote speaker at industry conferences and has received several distinctions including Top 100 Best Fleets, All America City, Green Model Shop and special recognition for waste reduction achievements from the State of California Governor’s Office.

 

Malcom has been in the fleet business since 1982 and in the automobile business in one fashion or another since 1976.  He was recently voted to become an AFLA board member (2^nd term) and is a member of the General Motors Commercial Sounding Board.

State Farm has been a pioneer in “sustainability” even before Malcom’s tenure. Van pools were implemented as early as 1981 and four-cylinder vehicles have been a major part of fleet for as long as they have been available.

State Farm acquired its first Toyota Prius in 2001 (a total loss settlement we repaired and one of the first 2000 produced) for research purposes and began implementing them into its fleet in numbers in 2004-2005.  Today, it has more than 725 hybrid vehicles and 5,200 flex fuel vehicles. 

In 2009, State Farm began to familiarize its employees with SmartWay (EPA designation) qualified vehicles and for the last two model years, more than 75% of purchases have been SmartWay vehicles.

State Farm and Malcom are honored to have been recognized in 2009 and 2010 as Fleet Environmental Leadership Award winners by Automotive Fleet magazine and to be ranked in the top 50 Green Fleets.

McGarry joined GM Fleet & Commercial Operations (FCO) in 2007 as marketing manager for alternative fuels and now serve as fleet sales manager for alternative energy vehicles.

GM is committed to helping customers green their fleets, offering biofuels, CNG and LPG, hybrids, and extended-range electric vehicles. The team represents GM at alternative-fuel conferences and we support Clean Cities and other likeminded industry groups.

GM believes biofuels are the best short-term solution to reduce petroleum dependence and the carbon footprint of driving, so we led national promotions for E-85 and its infrastructure development. McGarry’s global biofuels team won the Chairman’s Honors Award in 2008. For the 2011 model-year, it is marketing 19 FlexFuel vehicles — more than any other OEM.

McGarry also played a role in GM’s introduction of Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana CNG vans — the only brands to offer a one-source CNG option. And, we’re helping customers add the world’s first electric vehicle with extended range — the Chevrolet Volt, to their fleets.

 

In 2008, McKinney co-authored a book on the subject of sustainability entitled, The End Of The Road; The Transition To Safe Green Horsepower In it, he advocates for regional solutions to the problems of peak oil and greenhouse gas emissions.  

The forward to the book is written by Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and readers and supporters include Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio., McKinney also advocates for the recycling of EV industry infrastructure into a local manufacturing center for EV's.

 In 2010, he traveled to Croatia to strike a deal with DOK-ING of Zagreb, who brought the EV to Geneva that became the talk of the show. He’s a stakeholder in Leo Motors of S. Korea, makers of electric drivetrains, scooters, and developers of a zinc-air fuel cell. He met with their CEO and senior management at the Battery Show in San Jose, Calif., this year to discuss the application of their fuel cell technology on trucks, trains, and busses.

McKinney is an industry veteran with 28 years in automotive finance and leasing. Oregon Roads sold its first new electric truck, built by BATT, in 1995.

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Meisel has been involved in the fleet industry for the last 35 years with more than 15 years dedicated to alternative-fuel technologies. In that time, he progressed from a mechanic to his current position as director of transportation for PG&E. At PG&E, Meisel’s job is to manage the largest gas & electric utility fleet and one of the largest overall fleets in the nation. He manages more than 12,000 assets with 8,500 of them being power units. Of those 8,500 power units, more than 3,000 (approximately 30%) use some sort of an alternative fuel, ranging from electricity to natural gas to biodiesel. 

In his career, Meisel has been involved in a series of industry innovations in the alternative-fuel arena. Most of the innovations have been in the area of electric-based transportation, but he has also worked on many CNG/LNG and biodiesel projects. Outside of the technical area, he has worked on a variety of green fleet investment and financial cost models and emission reduction calculation models that are used in the industry today and have provided expert testimony at the state and federal government levels.

 

Miller has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive OEM management. Currently responsible for the development of Electric Vehicle Commercial Fleet sales and processes for Mitsubishi Motors. In his six-month tenure with Mitsubishi he has introduced the i car at more than 20 trade shows and events. He has developed and designed the processes for the new EV commercial fleet department at Mitsubishi that will be responsible for 50% of the sales volume of the electric Mitsubishi i. He was recruited from Nissan where his position was the Electric Vehicle Operations Manager (EVOM) for Southern California and Arizona. He developed training and certification for over 80 Nissan dealers in the proper procedures of vehicle delivery and customer handling. He was instrumental in ensuring the dealership infrastructure was installed and proper operating for the first deliveries. He worked hand and hand with the dealers in delivering the first 10 Leafs in Nissan Western Region. He has also had extensive experience in dealer development from his 2 years with smart USA starting the new franchise and dealer organization on Southern California. His knowledge of dealer development and operations came from his 19-year tenure with Chrysler Motors Corporation in the West Regional Office.

The County of Snohomish Wash., began diesel retrofitting with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) in 2005 and completed 134 units by 2009. Since 2007, the remainder of the fleet has been gradually upgraded with lower emission vehicles through fleet. This process began in 2005 with researching biodiesel, followed in 2006 with a successful pilot project at one location, and expanded use fleet-wide in 2008. Currently the fleet uses a range of biodiesel vehicles from B-10 to B-40 seasonally. Since 2007, the fleet has replaced 120 medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles with clean emission units.

Ethanol E-10 has been used since 2008; and E85 use has been implemented in in 2011 for 193 flex fuel vehicles. Since 2005, the County has purchased 41 hybrid and electric vehicles. The fleet has been right-sized and downsized since 2007.

Green accomplishments include eliminating 858 metric tons of particulate matter annually at 6 tons per DOC. In 2009, the County reduced baseline emissions by 12 percent compared with 2008 and per-class vehicle emission reduced by 22 percent from the base year 2007, according to Puget Sound Clean Cities. In 2009, the County also received the first NAFA Green Fleet Award for a truck fleet operating in a non-mandated area. It achieved a 100 Best Government Green Fleet ranking in 2008, 2009, and 2010; and was one of Government Fleet magazine’s Environmental Leadership Award recipients in 2009 and 2010.

The County developed a “seed to tank” vision for biodiesel and completed an infrastructure and contracting for processing biodiesel blended into ULSD fuel for fleet use. It also developed a green fleet plan, adopting bio-fuels and electricity as a means of achieving a 95-percent green fleet by June 2015.

It contributed to the development of and piloted the Evergreen Fleets Program, which includes adoption of sustainable fleet practices. The Snohomish Fleet was the first fleet to be certified with a 3-star ranking originally. It  is currently ranked at 4 stars. The County also began working on plug-in hybrids in 2008 and joined the PHEV Consortium to capture data for the Idaho National Laboratory’s study of PHEV viability.

The County has completed 22 charging stations at three facilities and will have 34 by year end. It is the only fleet serving on the State Task Force for the promulgation of electric vehicles.

 

Mouw has been a driving force within the automotive and high tech industries for 15 years. A graduate of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, he has been a key player in the development and marketing of clean-burning propane autogas vehicles at ROUSH CleanTech since its infancy.

Named vice president of sales and marketing at ROUSH CleanTech in 2010, Mouw has lead the charge in helping Fortune 500 fleets find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and operating costs through utilizing alternative fuel technologies, deploying nearly 1,500 vehicles to fleets nationwide in the last two years, with significant sales growth ahead. Mouw serves as president of the National Truck Equipment Association’s Green Truck Association, and travels nationally educating fleet managers on the benefits of domestically produced propane autogas and the fuel’s ability to clean the environment while shaving a company’s bottom line.

 

Chief Executive Officer Gary Rappeport joined Donlen in 1986 and held a variety of roles prior to taking the leadership position in 1996. Gary has a strong belief that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction, which ultimately results in business growth, and has developed the Donlen Service Success Chain in which annual goals are set and achievements benchmarked.

Gary's focus on employee satisfaction, retention, and overall corporate culture led to his being named the 2009 Executive of the Year, Services, by the American Business Association (ABA) Stevie Awards. Gary was the focus of the December 2007 issue of Smart Business Chicago magazine.

Gary received a Bachelor's degree in Finance at the University of Florida and an MBA in Finance and Information Systems at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prior to joining Donlen, he held sales and management positions at NCR and HP.

Gary is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the World Presidents Organization, and serves as chairman of the American Automotive Leasing Association. Gary is on the Dean's Advisory Board of the University of Wisconsin Business School. He is an active member of The Sierra Club and is diligently involved with Children's Oncology Services, Inc.

 

Ruby brings 30 years of industry experience to direct the operation and maintenance of over 800 campus vehicles.  Under his guidance, UCSD has procured more than 50 hybrid-electric cars and has converted more than 40% of the campus fleet to Zero Emissions Vehicles. He led the conversion of the University’s diesel fleet to use ultra-low sulfur B-20 biodiesel. He developed and implemented the plans for UCSD’s Alternative Fuels Station.

During his tenure as fleet manager, UCSD obtained the UC/CSU Best Practices award for its Electric Vehicle program and has been recognized by California EPA as a “Model Pollution Prevention Vehicle Service and Repair Facility.” UCSD has received the San Diego Excellence in Energy Efficiency award for “Sustainable Transportation Program.”

Ruby serves on San Diego Regional Clean Cities Coalition’s board and served on San Diego Area Government’s (SANDAG) Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Study Team. His campus recognition includes UCSD’s “Earth Week Sustainability Award for Outstanding Staff Contribution” and the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability for contributions to UCSD’s sustainability goals. Fleet Services’ facilities have been awarded LEED EB Silver, and the University participates in the EPA’s National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program.

As the Mobility division manager for Clean Energy Coalition, Sandstrom leads Michigan Green Fleets and Detroit Area Clean Cities. Michigan Green Fleets brings advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuel solutions to fleets throughout Michigan.

Now in year two of the four-year, $40 million project, a diverse cross-section of Michigan fleets are deploying more than 500 cleaner vehicles and building more than 50 alternative-fueling stations to support them. Based on data drawn from an Argonne National Laboratory model, the project will displace at least 1.5 million gallons of petroleum per year and more than 13 million gallons during the anticipated average 10-year equipment lifecycle.

Prior to his work as division manager, Sandstrom worked in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California in Commercial Vehicle Operations for Ford Motor Company. Passionate for clean transportation, he chose to move to Southeast Michigan where he can work with automakers and technology providers to make a difference in the communities they directly affect. Together, his fleet sustainability efforts span seven years. Mr. Sandstrom holds a master’s degree in transportation management from the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University.

 

Schreiber has been involved in the fleet industry for more than 25 years, managing fleets that varied in size and location from a dozen trucks in one place to more than 3,500 vehicles stretched all over North America.

Throughout his carrier he has been motivated by few guidelines:

1. Get the best possible vehicle for the task at hand.

2. Driver’s and the public’s safety cannot be compromised.

3. There is always a fine line between price and effectiveness.

4. Explore new technology that can improve results and does not break the bank. 

Otis is a United Technology division. In the last four years, OTIS embarked on a right-sizing mission, in which half of the replacement orders each year are vehicles that are downsized. The company saved more than 500,000 gallons of fuel in the last three years. OTIS also deployed other technologies, such as speed governors, and Eco-Boost when available on vehicles. Fleet constantly evaluates new technology and tries to improve the fleet performance. This is a long journey with attainable goals, however this is a journey that does not end. According to Schreiber, “You can always improve further.”

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Tepas spearheaded all internal driven programs revolving around EMKAY’s green initiatives since 2008. EMKAY was the first and still is the only fleet management company to be certified carbon neutral. He coordinated formal assessment in accordance with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute's Greenhouse Gas Protocol. EMKAY’s greenhouse gas emissions assessment quantifies the total greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly from a business or organization's activities. The program quantifies all six Kyoto greenhouse gases where applicable and is measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalence, including six Kyoto gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, and perfluorocarbons.

In addition to EMKAY’s internal program, Tepas has also created a program to assist their customers with similar eco-driven fleet initiatives called goGREEN. EMKAY’s goGREEN helps support fleets with carbon tracking, training, certification, and carbon offsetting. EMKAY’s goGREEN fleet program is unique in that it is easy and flexible program built to accommodate multiple types of fleet driven green initiatives.

Lastly, EMKAY joined as a Smartway partner in 2008 to better provide fleets with yet another way to assess their fleet’s green initiatives.

Thomas is an influential figure in vehicle electrification, whose career has included leadership roles at major automotive manufacturers and EV pioneers.  He is a co-Founder and the CEO of ALTe, whose electric powertrain system will be installed in existing commercial and government fleet vehicles in 2012. ALTe’s powertrain can increase fuel economy up to 200% and significantly lower fleet emissions. Thomas brings 29 years of engineering, program and operations experience from GM, Toyota, Ford, and Tier 1 suppliers including GKN, Collins & Aikman, and Magna Steyr. Previous to ALTe, he led Tesla Motors’ Michigan Tech Center for three years.

 

Since assuming responsibility for AT&T's Fleet organization in 2007, Webber has demonstrated outstanding dedication to sustainable practices by spearheading AT&T's commitment to alternative fuels — one of the largest in our country’s history. Additional environmentally-focused programs have been implemented under Webber’s leadership, including the diversion of over 4,500 tires from landfills, the collection of more than 355,000 gallons of used oil, and the launch of a corporate-wide anti-idling initiative. Extending his efforts, Webber is committed to sustainable fleet industry advancement, evidenced by his involvement with the Department of Energy and participation in a range of events and activities.

 

Weir’s involvement with sustainability efforts dates back to early 1990’s when the City of New York enacted Local Law 6 of 1991. Weir and his staff began buying 30% of the City’s light-duty vehicles and its bus fleets as alternative-fueled. During this time, the City purchased and retrofitted compressed natural gas vehicles and also flex-fuel ethanol vehicles. The City agencies also began fueling its diesel fleets with bio-diesel products (B5 and B-20). With the introduction of the hybrids in 2001, the City largely turned to these more fuel efficient vehicles.

With the signing of Local Law 38 of 2005, Mayor Bloomberg mandated Mayoral agencies to buy the cleanest vehicles in the class (sedan, pickup, van, etc.) for 95% of their light and medium duty vehicles procurements. The Mayor also enacted Local Law 39 and 77 which required that all diesel on and off road vehicles be brought up to the current federal emission standards by June 2012.

Under his guidance and direction, NYC is widely recognized as a leader in green fleet technology. Last year, the City was honored as the 9^th greenest fleet in the US by Government Fleet News and was 11^th in the prior year. Weir was also co-recipient, with the NYC Parks and Recreation, of NAFA’s first annual Green Fleet award. He  has also been a presenter at two Green Fleet Conferences and at the 2009 Alt Wheels Conference.

 

As Director of Market Development for NGVAmerica, the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry’s national trade association, and as Director of Market Analysis, Education & Communications of the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation, Yborra assesses NGV market opportunities and barriers and then develops programs to address them. This includes preparing market and technology analyses; advising government and industry RDD&D program task forces; presenting educational seminars and webinars; publishing articles and guest columns in niche fleet sector magazines; and managing NGV industry participation in national fleet-oriented trade events. He also organizes the annual National NGV Conference-Summit and other forums where natural gas engine, vehicle and fuel station equipment providers and their customers share ideas and strategies to build a more sustainable and robust NGV market. In this pivotal role as a recognized leading NGV market expert, Yborra is a frequent speaker at national conferences, symposia and other educational events, and he is sought out by national fleet executives, fuel retailers and natural gas industry stakeholders concerning NGV program development and implementation best practices.

 

Prior to working on NGV issues, Yborra was president of Energystics, Inc., an energy technologies consulting practice he founded in 1996 to help government and private industry commercialize new and emerging natural gas-fired cooling, distributed generation and industrial technologies. Clients included the US Department of Energy, a variety of HVAC and industrial process equipment manufacturers and leading national accounts in the restaurant, retail and commercial building management sectors. From 1986-1996, he held various communications and marketing positions at the Washington, DC-based American Gas Association.

 

Zilberfarb’s extensive and diverse involvement with the sustainable fuel industry spans more than 20 years. He has dedicated himself to promoting sustainable energy. He has served as the executive director of National Clean Cities Inc.; a national account manager of alternative-fuel vehicles with Ford Motor Company; a natural gas vehicle program director for Washington Gas; a consultant for the National Biodiesel Board on OEM outreach and education; and as the director of marketing for the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition.

Zilberfarb currently consults with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) to provide commercialization and outreach support for new propane-powered engine technology. His innovative ideas for sustainable fuels have resulted in specific programs and activities that have reduced conventional fuel consumption. These include the PERC Third Thursday monthly webinar series, Training Tuesday webinars, and Free For All Friday webinars, among others. Just as a sampling of his accomplishments, Greg has designed propane mower product studies, created and implemented the highly successful Propane Engine Fuel Summit, hosted dozens of alternative fuel road show events, produced online customer usage videos, organized countless exhibits across the nation to educate fleet managers on their fuel choices, and spoken at hundreds of engagements to promote alternative fuels. Zilberfarb is currently president of The Sales NetWork, a provider of marketing solutions to the alternative fuel industry.