Ruth, tell us why you first joined NAFA Fleet Management Association and how your involvement with the organization grew.
I began my fleet career in 1990; I was an assistant to a vice president of a company who encouraged me to take over fleet as he was interested in focusing on other areas. I realized quickly that I needed some education, and I quickly found NAFA.
I joined NAFA specifically for the CAFM program. Once I actually went through the program, I was asked to sit on the Certification Committee because I was a very enthusiastic champion of the whole program as I was going through it.
After that, I started getting involved on a local level and became Chair of the Chicago Chapter, and that led to working on national committees and then being chair of the national committee that I was working on. I then progressed up through Trustee, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and now President.
As you start out on your two-year term, are there some specific initiatives you are planning to pursue?
Well, a lot of times when people come into new roles they have a lot of projects that they would like to see get off the ground.
Claude Masters, our previous president, was the champion for our sustainability effort and has made that a premier NAFA product and NAFA educational tool for the fleet community.
But there comes a time sometimes when you have to step back a little bit and keep focusing on everything that you have up in the air. So, for the next couple of years I plan on not actually furthering new projects, but making sure that the ones that we have going keep going, so that those programs keep getting better and better.
What do you think it is about NAFA that keeps it so relevant within the fleet community?
I think what makes NAFA special is the fact that, number one, the primary focus is education. No matter who you are or where you come from; no matter what industry your fleet is in, NAFA is here to provide education. It is their main focus.
The second focus is being able to network with all of your peers; being able to tap those minds for the information that they hold. Being able to share your experiences and hear others’ experiences — you never know when you might hear that next great idea while you’re having a cup of coffee with a peer. NAFA is great at bringing those people together and being able to share with everyone the knowledge base of fleet management.
NAFA is a volunteer organization. What is that distinct thing that makes people want to volunteer their time?
I think the special thing that people want to volunteer for is other people. They come to NAFA and they see all of the time, energy and effort that people have expended to teach and to provide an environment where you can learn, and they want to give back.
I have never found another group so open, so embracing of people — no matter where they come from — and saying, “We are here for you, what can we do?” I think people respond to that and I think they want to give back.
Congratulations on being named president of NAFA; it has to feel very, very special to be chosen to lead the organization.
To be chosen to be in this role for the next two years really humbles you and makes you appreciate all of those people around you who have worked with you to get to where we are right now. I am so honored because this is a fantastic group of people.
