Faces of Fleet: Za Farley - Diversifying Fleet with Black Fleet Network
Black Fleet Network Names Peer Advisory Committee
Several familiar names in fleet management are a part of the Black Fleet Network inaugural Peer Advisory Committee, which will focus on fostering a more inclusive, dynamic, and innovative industry.

The Black Fleet Network Inaugural Peer Advisory Committee consists of 10 fleet professionals aiming to help increase awareness of and diversity in this fantastic industry.
Photo: Black Fleet Network
Black Fleet Network (BFN), a unique non-profit with leadership commited to growth in the commercial vehicle industry, introduce its inaugural Peer Advisory Committee (PAC).
Comprising a group of highly accomplished and award-winning fleet professionals, BFN noted the committee is set to revolutionize leadership development - with a distinct focus on diversity and excellence. The PAC's role is pivotal, as it exists to steer the direction of all industry-related education that BFN provides.
These accomplished professionals are uniquely qualified to advise on learnings directly aligned with the spectrum of fleet management responsibilities. Their perspective, rooted in their experiences as Black leaders in the industry, allows them to define best practices for empathetically training the next generation of diverse men and women.
According to the organization, BFN’s Peer Advisory Committee is not just shaping the future of fleet management but also fostering a more inclusive, dynamic, and innovative industry. This committee brings together a diverse range of talents, perspectives, and experiences that will equip and empower the leaders of tomorrow’s commercial automotive industry.
The inaugural PAC is an ensemble of industry leaders with decades of aggregated experience and includes:
LaVa Darby: Owner | Darby Enterprise Global Solutions
April Dents: Account Manager, Fleet & Truck MSO | PPG
Lora Dunton: Co-Owner & CEO | J3 Management Group
Tim Fitzgerald: Fleet Administrator | DC Government
Ladda Love Hawkins: Owner | My Own Lane Consultants
Samuel Hunter: Head of Sales | Driveroo
Alrik Lunsford: Extension Specialist - Clean Transportation | North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center
Bill Pugh: Owner | Smart Connections Consulting
Cedric Roberts: Fleet Director | City of Birmingham
Al Curtis, Fleet Services Director for Cobb County (Georgia) Government, will serve as the Peer Advisory Chairman on BFN's Board of Directors.
As BFN takes this significant step forward, they invite all stakeholders across the fleet and commercial vehicle landscape to join hands and embrace the future. The PAC is a testament to BFN’s commitment to making a difference and driving diversity in an industry where change is long overdue.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Operations

Family Ties Inside the Fleet Families Building Careers Across Generations
Three fleet families share what it really takes to work together, learn across generations, and keep business from following them home.
Read More →
Shades of Fleet Call for Voices: Fleet's Hidden Heroes
Fleet’s hidden heroes are often the ones keeping everything moving behind the scenes. September’s Shades of Fleet is looking for dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and other support pros to share their stories.
Read More →
Truck Centers, Inc. Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week with $1,000 Fuel Card Giveaways
During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Truck Centers, Inc. is offering customers a chance to fuel up for free. Customers at all Truck Centers locations can enter to win one of four $1,000 fuel cards from Sept. 14 - 18.
Read More →
Fleet Guides, AI Time-Savers, Truck Tariffs & Fuel Strategy Lead the News
This week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet covers new fleet vehicle guides, practical AI use cases, U.S.-Canada truck production, mixed-energy strategy, and more.
Read More →
What Fleet Employers Are Missing When Hiring Veterans
What if some of the strongest candidates for fleet are already out there, but their experience is written in a language our industry does not always recognize?
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
What Resilient Fleets Do Differently When Conditions Change
Fleet resilience is about more than reacting to disruption. Lauren Fletcher talks with AP Fleet’s Alex Coveney about flexibility, planning, scaling, and what helps fleets adapt when business conditions shift.
Read More →
If We Want the Next Generation in Automotive, We Have to Give Them a Reason to Care
The automotive industry talks constantly about its workforce shortage. But before we can recruit the next generation, we may need to do a better job giving kids a reason to care about automotive in the first place.
Read More →
Ram ProMaster City Under $40K, Truck Tariffs, and AI Maintenance Lead the News
A sub-$40K commercial van, tariff questions, AI-powered maintenance, and a new EV production strategy headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.
Read More →Bob Adamsky Shares the Fleet Lessons You Usually Learn the Hard Way
After more than 30 years in fleet, Arrow International’s Bob Adamsky has learned that the job is about far more than vehicles. He shares the lessons he wishes every fleet manager could learn a little earlier.
Read More →
