(NOVEMBER 15, 2013 — PRINCETON, NJ) – For decades, fleet managers watched events like the Academy Awards and wished they had an industry award of their own; one that recognized the most significant achievements, innovative ideas, and best practices of their colleagues.  In 2013, that award was finally realized when NAFA introduced the Fleet Excellence Awards (FLEXY).  Open to everyone in fleet management, the FLEXYs are awarded in the fields of sustainability, safety, and overall fleet management achievement.  The submission process for the 2014 Fleet Excellence Awards opened this week.

NAFA welcomes individuals and teams to submit an entry for the 2014 Fleet Excellence Awards at http://www.flexyawards.com.  Three finalists for each award will be chosen for both public fleets and corporate fleets.  In addition, one award will be presented in the area of fleet leadership.

 The submission deadline is January15.  Finalists will be notified in February and are invited to attend the awards ceremony in Minneapolis on April 8, where the winner will be announced live on stage in front of hundreds offleet professionals.  The awards presentation is part of an opening night party that celebrates the start ofNAFA’s annual Institute & Expo.  The buzz surrounding last year’s event and the excitement of the ceremony evoked the type of magic long sought by the industry.

 “We didn’t know what to expect, but the event went beyond our expectations,” said NAFA’s Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE.  “We said we wanted to create an ‘Oscars Night’ for fleet managers and we succeeded.  You could literally feel the tension in the room as each finalist’s name was announced.  This was the awards show fleet managers had been waiting for; one that treats fleet professionals as stars in their own right.”

 Finalists are chosen from an esteemed panel of judges that includes fleet management professionals, members of the media, and industry organizations.  To ensure the legitimacy of the awards, judges never see the names of the nominees nor the organizations they work for. Voting is 100 percent blind; based solely upon the achievements listed by the nominees on their submission forms. This allows for judging by merit, not name recognition.

 Individuals may nominate themselves or someone else. Fleet suppliers are free to nominate their clients as well. Entries in multiple categories are also accepted. If additional information for a submission is required, the nominee will be notified to present further data.  To submit an entry or to find out more information on the FLEXY Awards visit http://www.flexyawards.com.

 About NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA is the world’s premier non-profit association for professionals who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA’s Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information visit http://www.nafa.org.

Contact: Gary Wien
NAFA Fleet Management Association
609-986-1053
gwien@nafa.org