NTEA Forms Fleet Advisory Council
The Council will offer insights on how the Association’s current efforts to support educational programing, vehicle optimization and design, regulatory compliance, and more.

Photo: NTEA
NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry is pleased to announce the formation of Fleet Advisory Council, composed of innovative and forward-thinking fleet leaders who will provide perspective and guidance on Association resources for the work truck community.
“NTEA continues to increase its efforts to keep the fleet management community informed on the latest trends in products, alternative fuels, and regulations impacting the design and specification of commercial vehicles,” said Fleet Advisory Council Chair Tony Orta. “I am looking forward to working with such a respected group of fleet managers as we support the Association in this endeavor.”
The Council will offer insights on how the Association’s current efforts to support educational programing, vehicle optimization and design, regulatory compliance, risk management, alternative fuels, and electrification and technology applications are resonating with industry fleets. In preparing for future needs of fleet professionals, Council members will help identify new areas of support aligned with NTEA’s technical and regulatory focus.
“This diverse group of fleet experts extends the reach of the Association and brings decades of experience from the vocational fleet society,” said Christopher Lyon, NTEA director of fleet relations. “This group will provide ground-level perspective on issues, challenges, and solutions that fleet managers face every day.”
The NTEA Fleet Advisory Council members include:
Tony Orta (Chair), Fleet Operations Manager, Southern California Gas
Dean Ainardi, Assistant Utilities Fleet Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities
Scott Bucciere, Fleet Operations Manager, Davey Tree Expert Company
Jamie Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Department of General Services Montgomery County, Maryland
Robert Ellingsworth, Fleet Manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Tom Lattimore, Statewide Fleet Operations and Maintenance Coordinator, Minnesota DNR
Jimmy Pang, Engineering and Development Lead, Verizon Fleet Operations
Kelly Regan, Fleet Administrator, City of Columbus
Kathy Wellik, Director of Fleet Services, Iowa State University
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 →
