Government Fleet has announced the three finalists for the 2018 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year award. The nominees were scored based on 10 categories: business plan, technology implementation, productivity, policies, PM program, utilization management, replacement program, customer service, fuel management, and a key accomplishment from the past year.

This year’s finalists are:

• Dan Berlenbach, CPFP, fleet services buerau manager, City of Long Beach, Calif.

• Jeff Booton, director of fleet management, Denver International Airport, Colo.

• Tom Keyser, CFFA, fleet manager, Washington County, Ore.

The Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year award is sponsored by FCA. The winner of this award will be named during the Honors Celebration at the Government Fleet Expo & Conference (GFX), held June 4-7 in San Diego, Calif. 

Government Fleet asked the nominees to share an accomplishment from 2017 they are most proud of.

Dan Berlenbach said he’s most proud of his fleet’s leadership in the use of alternative fuels, anchored by its recognition as an accredited Tier 4 NAFA Sustainable Fleet.

Of the City of Long Beach’s 2,287 fleet vehicles and equipment, 42% are alternatively fueled, and they use more than 50% of renewable fuel by volume (including diesel, liquefied natural gas, and compressed natural gas). In addition, the fleet is moving quickly to electric power.

As part of these efforts, the fleet has procured solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations, moved to battery-electric vehicles, and have hybrid-electric trucks inbound.

The Denver International Airport fleet team brought several long-term projects to fruition over the past year while capitalizing on the implementation of additional technology. Last year, Jeff Booton said workflow processes were computerized to gain efficiency, and a business analytics system was implemented to enhance the fleet’s metrics and reporting capabilities.

At the same time, the team collaborated with other local public fleets to align fleet technician classifications across the city and commissioned a national pay study that resulted in raising the compensation of all fleet technicians.

Additionally, the fleet increased its workforce development efforts. Booton said his team provided off-site leadership training for supervisors and technicians and sourcing on-site training opportunities, which earned a 91% approval rating from mechanics.

Tom Keyser joined Washington County Fleet Services in July 2017 with 29 years of experience managing large and varied vehicle fleets for the U.S. Airforce. He is a Certified Federal Fleet Administrator (CFFA). Since joining the team, the fleet has increased its emphasis on training, disaster preparedness, and improving shop efficiency, and made efforts to bring the team together and improve customer service.

Keyser successfully added a position to help maintain the motor pool fleet, assist with shop cleanliness, and reorganize the parts room. This allowed the shop coordinator and technicians to focus on their primary jobs and increased direct labor time by 15%.

In addition, Keyser partnered with the Sheriff’s Office, offering his expertise in choosing a new patrol vehicle to replace the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria.

This year’s nominees also included:

• Charles Grab, general manager of transportation and fleet services, University of Connecticut

• Daryl Greenlee, business manager, Monroe County, Fla. (former fleet manager for the City of Orlando)

• Mario Guzman, CAFM, general services manager, City of West Palm Beach, Fla.

• Ron Kennedy, CEM, CPFP, fleet manager, Sarasota County, Fla.

• Robert Mascaro, manager of maintenance services, Massachusetts Transportation Authority

• Todd Richardson, CFMO, fleet management division director, City and County of Denver

• Hector Sierra Morales, fleet manager, Osceola County, Fla.

• Darryl Syler, CPFP, director of fleet management, City of Dublin, Ohio