Posted on August 1, 2025
“I was born to oversee a fleet but didn’t even realize it”
Kelly Lorenzen earned her college degree in art history and expressed her creative talent on personal projects while she stayed home for 20 years raising her family.
In 2017 she was ready to try something new, so she started a part-time position at Penn-Mar Human Services as a one-on-one Direct Support Professional (DSP) for a person with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). From there she moved to the organization’s in-home program, supporting people with IDD who were living on their own in apartments or at home with their families.
Kelly was open to new challenges and wanted to stay with Penn-Mar. Coincidentally, one day she was looking for help with a company vehicle she was driving and stopped by the office of the team member who managed the fleet. She vividly remembers the busy scene — a lot of information to manage, plus a dynamic set of responsibilities.
Kelly, the self-described “ultimate organizer,” was immediately drawn to the work. “I love organizing, spreadsheets, and comparing data,” she said. “It was like I was born to oversee a fleet but didn’t even realize it.”
Two weeks later, an opening for that very same job was posted. “I sent in my resume and was surprised to get an interview,” Kelly said. “And even more surprised, to get offered the Fleet Manager Coordinator job with no idea how to do it!”
As Fleet Manager Coordinator, anything to do with Penn-Mar’s 150+ vehicles — from maintenance to inspections to accidents — was Kelly’s responsibility.
With her artistic background and strong visual sense, Kelly built a color-coded Excel sheet to track every vehicle — including when each one needed an inspection or new registration. Next, she focused on developing a digitized system. Now, every document, new or old, is organized in an online folder and easily searchable by the last five digits of the vehicle’s VIN number.
Making her job even easier is a GPS system that allows her to see everything about a vehicle at-a-glance including real time routing, mileage, and maintenance needs and repair information.
To learn how to recommend the best time for vehicle replacement, Kelly’s research led her to Federal Government guidelines with a baseline of mileage and age. From that she developed her own data-driven “replacement index score.”
Even with these extensive process changes, Kelly knew there was more she could learn. In 2023 she attended a Fleet Forward Conference where she made contact with Toyota Fleet, later enrolling Penn-Mar in their fleet program.
That’s also where she met representatives from the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). Now a member, she has found a lot of fleet managers like herself who fell into the position with no experience and learned on the job.
In March 2024, Kelly enrolled in the Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) certification program that is equivalent to a semester of college studies. Participants have two years to complete the course, but Kelly (who refers to herself as “not the most patient person,”) took only eight months to receive her certification.
“Four years ago, when I said, ‘I could do the Fleet Manager’s job,’ I was right,” Kelly said. “I have learned so much along the way. This job is rewarding, challenging, and ever-changing. You never know what will happen next, but there are always people to support you and help you figure it out. My advice is to never stop learning, never stop growing, and be confident that you can do it if only you try.”
Practicing what she preaches, Kelly has also returned to her artistic roots. Now an active painter, she sells her “Hudson School-style” landscape paintings online and at craft fairs.
Kelly’s story is a powerful example of what can happen when someone embraces challenges with curiosity and confidence. Through hard work, creativity, and the courage to try something new, she found a career path she never expected — and made it her own.