October 11–12, 2026

Agenda

The Forum begins Sunday evening, October 11, and runs through 5:00 p.m. Monday, October 12, at The Westin Alexandria Old Town.

Sunday, October 11 — Opening Program

5:00 – 5:45 p.m.

Forum Registration and Participant Check-In

Registration desk opens; early arrivals may check in before the evening networking reception.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Welcome Networking Reception

Hors d'oeuvres provided

An informal evening to meet fellow fleet leaders, speakers and sponsors before Monday's program.

Monday, October 12 — Morning Program: Fleet Reality, Technology Response & Roundtable Dialogue

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

Registration, Networking & Coffee

Coffee and bagels provided

8:30 – 8:45 a.m.

Welcome, Forum Orientation & Opening Remarks

Darryl Syler and Rhonda Syler, PhD

8:45 – 9:30 a.m.

Opening Keynote

Crystal Philcox

Founder, Philcox Consulting

Former Assistant Commissioner for Travel, Transportation and Logistics, U.S. General Services Administration

9:30 – 10:15 a.m.

Panel 1 — Public Fleet Reality: Challenges, Priorities & Opportunities

Public fleets today are navigating operational demands, workforce pressures, changing technologies, sustainability goals, and increasingly complex decisions. In this conversation, we will explore where new approaches may create value and where AI could realistically fit.

Rhonda Syler, PhD Moderator

Associate Professor, James Madison University | DSA Cambridge Fellow

Graham Sheridan

Clean Communities & Economic Development Director

Virginia Clean Cities

John Wakefield

Fleet Management Information System Manager

Arizona Department of Transportation · Equipment Services

Darryl Syler

Fleet Division Chief

City of Alexandria, Virginia

10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

Networking & Coffee Break

Coffee provided

10:45 – 11:30 a.m.

Panel 2 — From Possibility to Practice: AI & the Evolving Fleet Technology Landscape

Technology providers are rapidly incorporating AI into fleet systems and services. This panel explores what is possible today, what is emerging, and what public fleet leaders should be watching as capabilities evolve.

Rhonda Syler, PhD Moderator

Associate Professor, James Madison University | DSA Cambridge Fellow

Mike Brawley

Sales Architect, VP

Transit Technologies · FASTER Asset Solutions

Tara Clarke

Power Platform & Dynamics 365 Sr. Solution Engineer

Microsoft Federal

Serena Worobel

Director of Initiatives

AssetWorks

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Interactive Roundtable: Where Does AI Fit in Your Fleet?

A facilitated discussion focused on real fleet challenges, potential AI use cases, barriers to adoption, and the questions public fleet leaders are working through today.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Networking Lunch

Lunch provided

Monday, October 12 — Afternoon Program: Responsible Adoption, Technology in Practice & Working Session

1:00 – 1:50 p.m.

Fireside Chat – From AI Opportunity to Adoption: Navigating Innovation in the Real World

A conversation on what it takes to move from opportunity to adoption, from evaluating new capabilities and managing risk to working with technology partners and balancing innovation with public responsibility.

Rhonda Syler, PhD Moderator

Associate Professor, James Madison University | DSA Cambridge Fellow

Tarrence Moorer

Deputy Director, Operations

City of Alexandria

Ted Garey

Product Counsel, Autonomous Mobility & Delivery

Uber

1:50 – 2:10 p.m.

Break

2:10 – 3:10 p.m.

Technology in Practice: Demonstrations & Applied Use Cases

Live demonstrations of fleet technologies and AI-enabled tools, offering a closer look at how these capabilities work in practice and where they may create value in public fleet operations.

Matt Gilbert

Northeast Regional Sales Manager

SimplyFuel Solutions · E.J. Ward

Tara Clarke

Power Platform & Dynamics 365 Sr. Solution Engineer

Microsoft Federal

Serena Worobel

Director of Initiatives

AssetWorks

3:10 – 3:30 p.m.

Afternoon Coffee & Networking

Beverages and snacks provided

3:30 – 4:40 p.m.

Working Session: Building a Fleet AI Opportunity

Facilitated by Rhonda Syler, PhD

A guided working session to identify a real fleet challenge, explore where AI may add value, and consider the barriers, guardrails, workforce needs, and next steps required to move forward.

4:40 – 5:00 p.m.

Takeaways & Closing Conversation

A final discussion highlighting key insights, emerging themes, and practical next steps from the day's conversations and working session.

5:00 p.m.

Adjourn

Reserve your seat at the inaugural Forum.

Space is intentionally limited to preserve a peer-level conversation among senior public fleet leaders.