Linck to Retire from Town of Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT - Elizabeth "Betty" Linck, town fleet director, will retire from the Town of Greenwich, effective September 30. Linck has served in this role for 19 ½ years.

Linck's many accomplishments as fleet director includie achieving requirements for an ASE Blue Seal Facility since 2005, implementing pay grade increases and additional stipends for technicians; successfully outsourcing the parts room function; implementing an outcome-based budget; and recognition of her department as a 100 Best Fleet for four consecutive years (#15 in 2008 and #14 in 2009). 

"Betty Linck has been an outstanding fleet director and made enormous contributions to the Town of Greenwich in attaining the highest industry recognition for our fleet department," said First Selectman Peter Tesei. "Betty will be missed and I wish her well in her future endeavors."

Linck has been involved in fleet management for the past 34 ½ years, starting her career in fleet in 1975 with a fortune 500 company and joining NAFA in 1980. Within a year, she became involved in her local Chapter, Inter-County's governing board, amount other positions, serving five terms as Chapter Chair. As Linck became more involved in NAFA, she served more than 25 years on the National Board of Governors in various capacities. Linck is an original Wharton CFM (Certified Fleet Manager) graduate. 

The Town of Greenwich's fleet department is an independent chartered department reporting to the First Selectman and responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the Town's vehicles. Since 1990, the department went from mainly manual operations to computerization with the implementation of a fleet maintenance program (FleetMaint) and automated fueling system (TRAK), establishing a perpetual inventory, and a comprehensive preventive maintenance program. This computerization saved many hours of manual work by tracking fuel usage, repairs, parts data, and vehicle inventory. The PM program reduced unscheduled repairs and downtime, currently at 4.16 percent. A vehicle replacement program with specific criteria replacements at optimum intervals and specification focused on the unit's job function was successfully accomplished and has led to the 5-10 and 15-year replacement projections.

Staff positions were reclassified and reduced by two positions during the mid 1990's. In 2005, the fleet became an ASE Certified Blue Seal Facility, with pay grade increases for the participating Technicians.  To insure established policies and procedures are followed with uniformity and the Department's diversified responsibilities were performed with conformity, a 23-chapter Department Operational Manual was developed and includes forms, data entry processes, building operations, and user department interaction. To measure customer service satisfaction, the TQM (Total Quality Management) program was developed with a repair/service satisfaction rate of 97.7 percent.

In 1999, operation of the parts room was successfully outsourced. With targeted labor hours saved, the average parts-on-demand objective exceeds the 90-percent target. The Town-owned inventory of more than 300,000 units was eliminated. A new fleet maintenance program (CCG FASTER) was purchased in 2002, and technician workstations were activated in 2006. In 2004, the automated fueling system was replaced with the E.J WARD system, which has reduced fuel site downtime.  In FY 2004/2005 the outcome-based budget was implemented, measuring performance to project, statement and measurements, a useful tool for benchmarking. For the next two fiscal years, the department continued to compile data and generate this type of budget until it was discontinued in 2007.

Going forward is the installation of a truck washing facility at the VMC incorporating a reconfiguration of the work areas, going "green" with the acquisition of hybrid vehicles and proposed purchase of biodiesel, and implementing a stipend for the ASE certified technicians who obtained additional certifications.