Robert Stine, CPFP, CAFM, director of the Fleet Management Department for Hillsborough County, Florida, was named the 2021 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year during the Honors Celebration at the 2021 Government Fleet Expo & Conference in Orlando. The award was presented by Bill Collins and Tom Scott of Element Fleet Management.

"It's always a humbling experience when people are brought onstage to recognize what they do day in and day out, because you typically don't get the visibility until something goes wrong. But every day when law enforcement or fire rescue can respond to a call within minutes because they have special purpose vehicles ready to go, fleet are the folks who make that happen," Stine told GFX attendees during his acceptance speech.

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. Stine was up against two other finalists for this award.

Stine has committed to improving operations and reducing service costs by adopting technology improvements at his operation. Annually, he budgets +$150K for improved test equipment, software database upgrades, training, vendor conferences, webinars, etc., and has equipped all of his techs with iPads and diagnosis software. He's led county sustainability efforts by shifting to more energy efficient assets; installing roof solar panels and energy efficient bay lights; and developing a carbon footprint model. This resulted in the county in achieving "Platinum" (the highest rating) Energy & Environmental design honors from the U.S. Green Building Council -- making Hillsborough the third U.S. county to earn this honor.

Facing COVID-19, he assisted in continuing operations by enforcing social distancing and use of face masks; placing techs on split shifts and support staff on hybrid telework schedules; restricting occupancy in common areas; and spending upwards of $75K on PPE, cleaning supplies, plexiglass barriers, computers, and more to keep the workforce safe.