WestStart-CALSTART, North America's leading advanced transportation technology organization, welcomes George Survant to its Board of Directors. In his role as Director of Fleet Services for Florida Power and Light (FP&L), managing the company's 3,600 vehicle fleet, Mr. Survant brings significant real-world expertise in vehicle and fleet operations, certification, testing and maintenance.

"George has been a leader among fleet managers nationwide in helping to commercialize advanced vehicle technologies. His insights on how to accelerate fleet acceptance of clean and energy efficient vehicles will be extremely valuable," said John Boesel, President and CEO of WestStart-CALSTART.

For the past four years, Mr. Survant has served as the chair of the Utility Working Group of WestStart's Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF). This HTUF group has launched one of the most comprehensive pilot programs to date to assess the performance of heavy-duty hybrids in some of the nation's largest utility fleets. Mr. Survant played a principal role in recruiting utilities to the HTUF program and guiding the utility effort. In 2004 he was awarding a Blue Sky Leadership Award recognizing his visionary leadership in helping move heavy-duty hybrid technology into the marketplace for utility service trucks.

Mr. Survant brings a distinguished career in fleet management to the Board. Prior to FP&L, his resume includes serving as an area manager for GTE, as vice president of operations for Diversified Inspections, providing inspection and safety certification services for cranes and bucket trucks, as well as serving as general manager for Ryder Corp. and the fleet director at San Diego Gas & Electric.

In addition to ratifying Mr. Survant as a director, the WestStart-CALSTART Board also elected two new officers. Mr. Fred Hansen, General Manager of the Tri-County Metropolitan District (TriMet) of Oregon, has been appointed Vice Chairman of the board, and Mr. John Formisano, Vice President of Global Vehicle Operations for FedEx Express, steps into the role of Secretary. Mr. James D. Boyd, Commissioner of the California Energy Commission, will continue in his capacity as Board Chairman for another year.

"WestStart-CALSTART's strength is its ability to function as a dynamic public-private partnership. We're fortunate to have two nationally recognized leaders, Fred Hansen from the public sector and John Formisano from the private sector, step up into these new roles on our board," noted Boesel.

WestStart-CALSTART is North America's leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. It is a participant-supported organization of more than 130 firms and organizations worldwide, dedicated to expanding and supporting a high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs and improves energy efficiency. WestStart serves as a strategic broker to spur advanced transportation technologies, systems and the companies that make them. Its California operating division does business as CALSTART. Visit www.weststart.org for more information.