You don’t win Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year by getting lucky; you win it by proving, year after year, that your operation can be trusted when the pressure is on. That’s why the Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year judges are worth listening to. Every one of them has been on the other side of the spotlight as a past winner, and their answers can be used as field notes from leaders who have made the hard calls and lived with the results.

We asked them two simple questions that aren’t simple in practice. First: what they wish they’d known when they first stepped into fleet. Second: how they know, with evidence, that their program is working.

If you’re in the middle of building your 2026 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year application, or weighing whether to apply, their insight offers a practical starting point and a reality check on what strong fleet leadership looks like day to day.

What advice would you give your younger self when first getting into fleet management? 

Take opportunities to speak with staff to learn operations and administration.  Ask what they need to do their jobs more efficiently. Keep an open mind and take some time to decide what is the best way to get your team to success.

 Alison Kerstetter

1. Consult with your company's fleet management colleagues to understand what they do, how they do it, and why.

2. Embrace continuous learning and stay current using available resources like Government Fleet and NAFA to foster confidence and motivation in your career development.

3. Attend all the Fleet events you can, both locally and nationally, to expand your knowledge and network.

4. Make as many connections as you can through these events and find out if they are facing the same challenges you are and how they are handling them.

5. Get involved in the industry and volunteer your time. It's an excellent way to gain different experiences, learn, develop, and build relationships.

6. Sign up for all the certifications and courses you can, like the CAFM and other webinars. 

7. Learn as much as you can about leadership and change management.

8. Develop relationships with your vendors; they are your partners and are an excellent resource.

9. Benchmark against your peers and take advantage of the options available, like Government Fleets - Leading Fleets, and NAFA's 100 Best. 

Sara
“Listen more. Speak less.” That’s the simplest and most valuable piece of advice I’d share. Early on I thought leadership meant having all the answers. What I learned is different: great ideas and sustainable improvements usually come from the people doing the work every day — technicians on the floor, drivers on the road, and administrative staff handling the details. Be curious, build trust, and solicit feedback often. Invite dissenting voices and make it safe to speak up. Invest time in mentoring and in learning the technical side of the operation so your guidance is informed and credible. Finally, embrace change as a constant: pilot boldly, learn quickly, and scale what works — but always bring your team with you so change becomes ownership, not resistance. Kelly

• If you don’t have serious business and accounting skills, you need to take classes so that you can better communicate with your Finance Department and run fleet like it’s a business.

• Make sure you take care of your team. Whether that’s mentoring them, training them, supporting their advancement, or sheltering them from the things above.

• Remember that you must always be the best overall value to your customers.

• Get involved with fleet associations and fleet conferences. Learning from those that are industry experts is priceless. 

• Make sure to take a breath once in a while, it can’t be all work and don’t forget to celebrate successes with your team. You win and lose as a team, not as individuals.

• Apply for award programs such as Leading Fleets. Even if you don’t make the list, going through the application process will make you better.  The credibility with executive management, elected officials, and the public that you gain from receiving those types of awards can be important in the future.

David R

What advice would you give your younger self when first getting into fleet management?

1. Join as many applicable government specific fleet management associations and ask for mentorship.  All the greatest information is acquired through personal contacts with leaders in the industry.

2. Attend GFX each year.  There is no better exposition and conference dedicated to government fleet management and operations to attend and learn from each year.  “To be the best you must learn from the best.”

3. Assemble, develop, and support a great Team of people that have the ability to learn, want to advance their careers, are honest, and thrive in a Team atmosphere of mutual support.

4. Remember that people don’t remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel. Make sure your Team members feel appreciated, important, and part of something bigger than just being an employee.

David W.

How do you measure success in fleet management? 

For me, success is defined by making the fleet division a better place to work for staff members. This includes improving processes and procedures, providing needed tools and equipment to complete tasks and training for the equipment and vehicles that are in the fleet. By making the division a better place to work, this will increase efficiency in repairs and create safer vehicles for city staff members.  

 Alison Kerstetter

Success in Fleet Management can be measured in several ways: through data and analytics that reflect a well-run fleet capable of adapting to change; through consistent communication and feedback with both employees and customers that demonstrate strong service, positive team morale, and employee retention; through clear evidence of employee development and career progression; and through initiatives that deliver measurable savings in time and cost
SaraSara Burnam, MSL, CAFMFleet Success Manager

Success isn’t a single metric — it’s a balanced picture that blends operational performance, people, and strategic outcomes. Key measures I rely on include:

- Operational reliability: vehicle uptime, on-time availability, and reduced emergency road-calls. 
- Total cost of ownership: lifecycle cost tracking (acquisition, maintenance, fuel/energy, disposal). 
- Safety & compliance: incident rates, regulatory adherence, and sustained safety culture. 
- Employee engagement & retention: technician turnover, training completion, and frontline suggestions implemented. 
- Customer/stakeholder satisfaction: internal client feedback and service-level adherence. 
- Innovation adoption: percentage of pilots moved to production, efficiency gains from new tech (telematics, electrification, predictive maintenance).

A final, vital measure: culture change. If your team is increasingly proactive — offering improvements, owning outcomes, and pushing standards higher — you’re building long-term success. Numbers matter, but the people who move the needles matter more. Nurture them, listen to them, and invite them into the vision; that’s how an exceptional fleet program is built.

Kelly Reagan

Fleet Administrator

Here’s how I measure success in fleet management:

• Fleet safety – No accidents related to mechanical failure, no out of service red tags during annual CHP inspections, and no fleet staff hurt at work.

• Being the best value to our customers and a good steward of taxpayer dollars – Using accurate data to quantify that our services are the best overall value and communicate with stakeholders.

• Team engagement and satisfaction – Low staff turnover, staff that aren’t afraid to make educated suggestions, and staff that request technical training along with training that will help advance their career.

• Financial stability – Making sure to stay within budgetary guidelines for both revenue and expense budgets.

• Credibility – Verifying best practices in policies, procedures, and practices by receiving accreditation and awards at local and national levels.

• Adaptability – Are we adjusting to waves in political, regulatory, and financial changes.

David Renschler, CPFP | Fleet Division Manager

Fleet Management Division | Public Works

City of Fairfield

 Achieving organizational short-term goals and objectives

1. Achieving milestones of a long-term strategic plan

2. Low staff turnover rate

3. High customer service index ratings

4. Earning local, regional, national, or international awards in areas that are meaningful for your organization

5. Being the best value for your customers with data to support your worth as a partner in success of your customers

David Worthington

Fleet Manager

County of Santa Clara

Facilities and Fleet Department