These Are the 2020 Finalists for Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year

Finalists were selected by a panel of past winners and other public fleet industry veterans based on 10 categories.

March 6, 2020

1 min to read

Government Fleet has announced the finalists for the 2020 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year award. The winner will be featured in the July issue of Government Fleet magazine and recognized during the Government Fleet Expo & Conference.

This year’s finalists are:

John Manring, chief of fleet departmental operations for San Diego County, Calif.
Kevin Schlangen, CAFM, CEM, CPFP, fleet manager for Dakota County, Minn.
Mark Stevens, fleet manager for the City of Sacramento, Calif.

Finalists were selected by a panel of past winners and other public fleet industry veterans based on 10 categories: business plan, technology implementation, productivity, policies, preventive maintenance program, utilization management, replacement program, customer service, fuel management, and a key accomplishment from the past year. These finalists were chosen from a list of 16 nominees.

We asked each nominee to share an accomplishment from the past year that they are proud of. Here’s what they said:

John Manring

In 2019, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors tasked its Fleet Management Division to develop an Electric Vehicle Roadmap. Within a three-month period, the fleet team developed a comprehensive plan for the 4,500-vehicle fleet spread across 33 county departments that complied with the county’s existing Climate Action Plan and Green Fleet Action Plan. The roadmap incorporates more than 500 vehicle conversions to battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as well as charging infrastructure. Manring will give a presentation of this plan at GFX.

Kevin Schlangen

In 2019, Dakota County upgraded its fuel management system and began a $15 million addition and renovation project on its Empire Maintenance campus. The county’s old fuel management systems were from the 90s. The new system merged all fuel islands and facilities generator sites with new electric dispensers, transaction readers, and tank management systems. Now, the fleet team manages all fuel county-wide under one database for the first time since the county fleet was centralized in 2007. With this change, the fleet was able to eliminate 14 analog phone lines and two software programs, saving $9,800 and 215 labor hours annually. Staff time related to fuel management is down 87%.

Mark Stevens

In 2019, the City of Sacramento was named the #1 Green Fleet in North America — the city’s second time earning this distinction. The city has a comprehensive Fleet Sustainability Policy, and the fleet team has achieved quantifiable results in idle and fuel reductions, emission reductions, fleet reductions, and ZEV and alternative-fueled vehicle procurement. The fleet team has changed the culture of EV acceptance through communication and transparency, hosting ride-and-drive events and holding meetings with presentations of OEM data.

The Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year award is sponsored by GovPlanet. A longer Q&A with the finalists will appear in the May issue of Government Fleet.

Learn more about Government Fleet’s awards here.

Topics:Fleet Manager of the Year Operations

More Operations

Police•by Staff Writer•May 20, 2026

Maryland Natural Resources Police Adds 31-Foot Patrol Boat to Enforcement Fleet

A new addition to Maryland’s marine enforcement fleet is bringing expanded capabilities to Chesapeake Bay operations while honoring a legacy within the agency. The high-performance patrol vessel reflects how law enforcement fleets are adapting to growing demands on the water.

Operations•May 20, 2026

John Deere Expands X-Tier Lineup with New 844 and 904 X-Tier Wheel Loaders

The new X-Tier machines bring together advanced electrified drivetrain technology, intelligent machine controls, and optional operator awareness features.

A blueprint with tool graphics and text about technicians.

Operations•by Nichole Osinski•May 14, 2026

The Technician Pipeline: Finding, Keeping, and Promoting Techs Within the Operation.

At look at where to find good talent, what fleets are doing to incentivize those techs to stay within the fleet, and what promotion looks like for a technician within the public sector.

Operations•by News/Media Release•May 13, 2026

Public Sector Leaders Partner with Samsara to Advance Real-World AI Innovation

Samsara introduced three AI-powered public sector solutions focused on road condition monitoring, waste service verification, and student ridership management for government agencies and school districts.

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.

The Fleet Efficiency Gap: Where Budgets, Utilization & Risk Collide

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This whitepaper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Fleet Costs Are Rising: Here’s How Leaders Are Responding

Fleet leaders are under pressure to reduce costs, adapt to economic uncertainty, and make smarter decisions. See how peers across North America are responding with real data, proven strategies, and forward-looking insights. Download the 2026 Market Pulse Report to benchmark your strategy and uncover where you can gain an edge.