Dan Berlenbach, fleet services bureau manager for the City of Long Beach, Calif., was named the 2019 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year during the Honors Celebration at the 2019 Government Fleet Expo & Conference in New Orleans.

This award is sponsored by GovPlanet. Joe Lane, national director of state, provincial, and local government, presented the award to Berlenbach.

"Learn from those around you, that's how you really get smart. Lead with compassion and guts. Put your people first. Serve - that's what we do, right? We're in public service," Berlenbach told GFX attendees during his acceptance speech.

Berlenbach dedicated the award to Stevaughn Matthews, a garage services assistant who died while working in the Long Beach fleet shop in 2016. 

A panel of judges consisting of fleet managers from around the country reviewed each candidate in 10 categories: business plan, technology implementation, productivity, policies, preventive maintenance program, utilization management, replacement program, customer service, fuel management, and safety. Berlenbach was up against two other finalists for this award.

Over the past few years, the Long Beach fleet has invested in electric vehicles, hybrid trucks, and renewable fuels. Berlenbach and his team are active in the community, with membership on three high school auto shop advisory boards and two local colleges, an internship program with the local Job Corps, and donations to local shelters. 

In addition to his role leading the Long Beach fleet, Berlenbach was elected the president of the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA) earlier this year. In 2018, he was also inducted into the Public Fleet Hall of Fame.