The 2023 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC) set a new attendance record this month, with more than 160 fleet representatives from electric utilities, contractors, co-ops, and municipal operations convening in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The June 4-7 conference also boasted more than 350 supplier representatives from about 100 companies that offer vehicles, equipment, products, and services to fleets operating utility equipment. The 70th anniversary celebration featured 11 retirees, with eight past presidents who’ve served since 2004 among them.
The 2023 conference also marked the 30th anniversary for Ann Brown-Hailey, director of administration.
“EUFMC has many long-time attendees and has grown consistently over the years as it continues to attract new fleet professionals and new companies operating utility equipment,” Dave Meisel, EUFMC president, and Quanta Services executive vice president of operations, said in a news release. “The ongoing success of this conference is due to its premier educational program and the opportunity for fleet professionals to exchange information through close cooperation with each other and suppliers. With the unwavering support of our sponsors, we expect EUFMC to continue to grow and serve the industry.”
EUFMC was founded in 1953 to address the needs of utility fleet managers. In the 1990s, attendance totaled about 60 fleets and the same number of suppliers, organizers said. By the 2010s, EUFMC was hosting 100 fleet managers and over 250 representatives from more than 95 manufacturers and service providers.
The EUFMC educational program on Driving Safety, Sustainability & Technical Expertise included presentations by fleet executives, manufacturers, and industry experts. The conference keynote address was delivered by Brian L. Wolff, chief strategy officer and EVP for public policy and external affairs at Edison Electric Institute.
Also on the EUFMC general session agenda were:
- Fleet safety panel
- ZEV design, acquisition, planning and testing
- Regulatory updates
- Fleet charger construction updates and mobile fleet charger developments
- Legal updates
- Fleet responses to supply chain disruptions
- PHEV medium-duty vehicles
- Technician training and best practices
- Comparing and contrasting telematicshardware strategies
- Tire considerations and benchmarking - What a fleet manager should know
- Roundtables, an EUFMC signature event, enable fleet representatives and suppliers to discuss mutual challenges and find solutions.
A new event at EUFMC 2023 was the first Women in Utility Fleet gathering. More than 20 women fleet professionals attended the networking breakfast hosted by EUFMC Director Julie Gomez, of Tucson Electric Power.
“EUFMC is at the forefront of efforts to change how women have been historically underrepresented in the utility fleet industry,” Gomez said. “We are very encouraged by the positive response this year to the opportunity to provide a forum for discussing issues of common interest for the industry’s growing number of women utility fleet professionals, and we look forward to expanding the program.”
The next EUFMC is set for June 2-5, 2024, at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center in Williamsburg.