Larry Campbell, CPFP
Fleet management director, City of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Larry and Laura Campbell visited the Coulee Dam in Washington.
How long you've been in fleet: I started as mechanic’s helper in the private sector 36 years ago and worked my way up within fleet. I moved to the public sector in 1992, taking a job with Allen County in 1992 as fleet manager and then with the City of Fort Wayne in 2003.
Your favorite part of fleet management: Getting out of the office and in the field with the end user. I always like to see and test the new equipment as it comes out. We have operator contests to determine the best operator as part of our safety and training program in the City. When we demo equipment, I’m not afraid to get on and operate it.
What you do in your spare time: I’ve been on several mission trips through the U.S., usually building homes. When Hurricane Katrina hit, I went to Biloxi, Miss., to help rebuild homes.
Your ideal vacation: Right now, we often go to Idaho to see my wife’s family. We also go to Florida, where our daughter’s family lives, and spend time with (spoil) the grandkids. We like going to different parts of the country we’ve never been to before.
Something others don't know about you: I coached high school track (jumping events) for many years, starting when my daughter was in middle school until eight years ago. Different coaches in the area still call me to help with the form of their athletes.
Dave Head
Fleet manager, Sonoma County, Calif.
Dave and Michelle Head are pictured during a charity motorcycle ride.
How long you've been in Fleet: Almost 25 years at the county in fleet, and before that, I was in automotive maintenance.
Tell us a funny fleet story: Twenty years ago, we had a deputy who hit a tree with his car. He said the brakes failed. We were trying to recreate the series of events that happened, and we discovered that as he went in pursuit, his wheels weren’t touching the ground because he was going too fast around the windy road. The captain and I got a big laugh out of that.
What you do in your spare time: My wife Michelle and I love to travel. We have a trailer that we take to go camping and on extended trips. We took a cruise in April to the Western Caribbean. I love to read, especially military history. My favorite book is The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, about the Battle of Gettysburg.
Something others don't know about you: My wife and I went to high school together. We weren’t acquaintances, but we knew each other. We had no contact until our 30-year reunion. We worked on our 35-year high school reunion committee. Through a series of events, after that 35-year reunion, we found ourselves to be single at the same time. We started dating, fell in love, and got married seven months later.
Kevin Schlangen, CPFP
Fleet manager, Dakota County, Minn.
Pictured (l-r) are Kevin Schlangen and daughter Mandy, mother-in-law Louis, wife Jackie, and daughter Brianna.
How long you've been in fleet: It’s been 30 years exactly. I was the last of 10 in my family, and we grew up on single-family farm. I worked on farm equipment. I worked various other jobs and joined Dakota County in 1990 as fleet manager.
Tell us a funny fleet story: When I started at County, I took the advice of others who said that we didn’t need to prepare our winter equipment until mid-November. My second year in, we had the storm of the century on Halloween day 1991. We didn’t have the snow equipment ready. It got so bad, they sent all the snow plow truck drivers home. Fleet staff stayed to prep the equipment, and we worked for 19 hours straight. When we finally left, I got stuck on an unplowed County road and had to hire someone to pull me out so I could get home.
Your favorite part of fleet management: All the new technologies, all the new equipment. It’s like Christmas. There’s always something new, different, something to learn.
Your ideal vacation: My wife and I have never been to Australia, but I’d like to go. I’m trying to talk her into the long plane trip.
Something others don't know about you: I was an athlete in high school. My senior year, I was a baseball pitcher and was named MVP for the Central Gopher Conference. I don’t even like to watch baseball now.
