FYI from MCI™

Meet MCI’s Public Sector Fleet Support Managers

It's no secret that MCI's Public Sector customers — primarily transit agencies — account for a significant percentage of MCI sales. So it should come as no surprise that MCI has a team dedicated solely to serving their unique needs. Like their private-sector counterparts, MCI's four Public Sector Fleet Support Managers smooth the way for new deliveries, facilitate operator training, address warranty issues and sell parts. Unlike other FSMs, they deal with complex bids, contract funding and other governmental issues. And like their customers, they log a lot of miles.

Public Sector FSMs generally hit the road on Monday mornings, travel territories that can encompass half the nation — all the while fielding endless phone calls — then return home for Friday office hours. "They work really hard for our customers," says Wade Norton, vice president of Fleet Support and head of the Public Sector team. "Even with all the challenges of the industry, they've had a great year."

MIKE MELOCHE

Though Mike Meloche has been serving big MCI clients like NJ Transit as Fleet Support Manager for only 15 months, his roots in the industry go back nearly 30 years — mostly with MCI supplier Detroit Diesel. "I really enjoy the transit side of the business," says Meloche, who also credits his fellow employees with great professionalism. "I enjoy the challenge." Meloche is especially proud of recently winning a new contract for 25 remanufactured Detroit Diesel engines, and he's excited about recent numbers indicating that ridership — and fleet equipment procurement — is increasing across the country. "Transit authorities are adding to their fleets and refurbishing their equipment," says Meloche. "There's a lot of demand for our D-Series coaches."

DAN BESSERER

Like Meloche, Dan Besserer has spent nearly 30 years — his entire adult life — in the motor coach industry. "I started out washing buses at night when I was 18," says Besserer. He went on to work in virtually every area of the bus industry, picking up expertise in maintenance, parts, public transit, bids and more along the way. He arrived at MCI Fleet Support in 2004 after spearheading parts marketing and sales for a competitor, and he's happy to have made the switch. Today, he lives in Toronto and spends most of his time in New York tending MCI's New York City Transit and MTA accounts. "They call me the mayor of the LaGuardia Marriott," jokes Besserer, who rides a Harley when he's not logging frequent flier miles. "I even know the guy who cuts the grass." He credits both his close relationship with customers and fellow staff with making it all work. "When you're out in the field, you're only as good as your ties to the head office," says Besserer. He also believes his wide-ranging experience in the bus industry gives him added insight and empathy. Says Besserer, "I understand their issues."

BOB STRANGWAYS

Another longtime industry veteran, Bob Strangways started his bus career in 1973. Though he has worked for other companies, he says he's been an "MCI guy" since 1977, since he worked with his first MCI coach. He gained entry into the public sector sphere when the company he worked for at the time, Keeshin Transportation (later acquired by Coach USA), started a transit division to serve Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Though he's been with MCI for nearly 10 years now, he assumed his present territory — the entire western United States — in January 2005. "I have a lot of pride in this company and the product," says Strangways. He tells of one transit agency that didn't know quite what to do with their new MCI buses, being in the habit of allocating two months to work out quality issues when buying from other manufacturers. "With these, they inspected them, put in the fare boxes, and they were ready to go." What Strangways likes best about his job, though, are the people. "It's the relationships," says Strangways, who hails from the South and has recently spent a lot of time helping New Orleans' transit agency establish supplementary service in Baton Rouge, where many of its riders settled after Hurricane Katrina. "On the surface, we may not even be selling anything on a given day, but everything is based on long-term relationships. We want our customers to look to us first."

JAMIE CRESSMAN

An MCI Public Sector Fleet Support Manager for only three months now, Jamie Cressman is nevertheless an experienced public transit pro, having spent 10 years in truck and trailer refrigeration. "Winning contracts is something I've always enjoyed, and it's great working for a top-of-the-line manufacturer like MCI," says Cressman, who works out of Pennsylvania and serves transit authorities in Chicago, Miami, Baltimore and other central and eastern cities. "I've built some good contacts in a short time," says Cressman, who brings with him some strong relationships with procurement agents. His goal? "I want to become the go-to guy when the transit authorities in my territory have a question." So far, he's on his way.

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