The Willard H. DaSilva Student Scholarship is both a reward for a worthy student’s commitment to the fleet profession and a symbol of the support the current generation of fleet provides the next. On April 26, 2017, in Tampa, Florida, the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Foundation continued this tradition by awarding Hayden Gallagher, CAFM, the 2017 Willard DaSilva Student Scholarship during a ceremony held at NAFA’s Annual Institute & Expo.
NAFA Foundation President Tom Lubas commended Gallagher on his ability to apply his knowledge independently, and to pull resources from prior school coursework and Internet research into fleet projects with Cintas where he is an intern. Gallagher has exhibited skill in the areas of lifecycle analysis and researching maintenance software options.
Lubas elaborated, “A student at Ferris State University, (Gallagher) is completing the bachelor degree requirements in Heavy Equipment Service Engineering as well as a minor in Fleet Management.
"(At Cintas,) he aided in fleet data analysis predicting ROI of a national tire program, evaluated MMS providers, and even got involved with location fleet audits."
On his application for the scholarship, a representative from Cintas said Gallagher had "great energy, and approached each task with a positive attitude, developing good working relationships with everyone on the fleet team.”
The Scholarship was named in honor of NAFA’s long-time legal counsel, Willard H. DaSilva, and the recipient was determined by the NAFA Foundation. The $3,000 scholarship was created to honor outstanding academic achievements of an individual enrolled in the automotive or fleet program of a NAFA partner university. Students must complete a comprehensive application process and program of study to be eligible for consideration for the scholarship. The award is particularly poignant this year as DaSilva recently passed away (on May 5, 2017).
The NAFA Foundation was incorporated in 1976 as a nonprofit, charitable organization that supports the advancement of the automotive industry through the promotion and encouragement of education and research projects. The Foundation receives, administers, and disburses grants and contributions, accepting donations from corporations and individuals, to support the Foundation’s mission and future projects. All donations to the NAFA Foundation are tax-deductible.
NAFA congratulates Hayden Gallagher on his achievement and is pleased to see him carry fleet management forward to its next wave of professionals.
About NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the 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 in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.6 million vehicles that drive an estimated 50-billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well in excess of $100-billion each year.
NAFA’s members manage fleets for corporations covering a wide range of manufacturing and service organizations, governments (whether local, state and/or federal), and public service entities (public safety, law enforcement, educational institutions, utilities, etc.); still other members serve financial institutions, insurance companies, non-profit organizations, and the like. For more information visit http://www.nafa.org.
