Lightning eMotors, a leading provider of all-electric powertrains and medium-duty and specialty commercial electric fleet vehicles, announced today that Kenneth Jack, vice president of fleet operations for Verizon Communications, was elected to the Lightning eMotors Board of Directors effective October 7th.
Jack, 47, brings to the board more than 25 years of experience in fleet, logistics and operations management. With the addition of Jack, Lightning eMotors now has seven directors. Shareholders also reelected Robert Fenwick-Smith, Chairman of Lightning eMotors’ Board of Directors, and CEO Tim Reeser to the board.
“Ken Jack is an exciting addition to our Board of Directors,” Fenwick-Smith said. “His proven mobility and fleet operations leadership, and insights into Voice of the Customer, will be instrumental in helping us drive value for shareholders and other stakeholders as we continue to advance our commitment to simplifying fleet electrification.”
As Verizon Communications’ vice president of fleet operations, Jack is responsible for all procurement, performance, maintenance, operations, and policy related to Verizon’s almost 30,000 vehicle North America fleet. Prior to joining Verizon in 2011, Jack was the general manager of transportation operations for Con Edison. There, he was responsible for all engineering, fleet procurement, administration, compliance, asset management and maintenance activities for Con Edison of NY and Orange & Rockland Utilities.
“Ken will not only provide valuable insights into the minds of our customers, he also brings a deep understanding of the nation’s electric grid. He has first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities related to developing a nationwide fleet electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” Reeser said. “His knowledge and insight will help us as we broaden our all-inclusive Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) offerings for our commercial vehicle customers.”
In addition to his executive leadership roles, Jack is active in both community and industry organizations, holding Board of Directors positions with the NAFA Fleet Management Association, the General Motors EV Vision Advisory Board, WEX and Build Edison as the Mobility & Fleet Advisor since 2018. Jack holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic/NYU, an MBA from Columbia University and was named Automotive Fleet Magazine’s “Fleet Executive of the Year” in 2019.
“Joining the Lightning eMotors Board feels like a culmination of my almost 30 years in this profession. I’m excited to work with Robert, Tim and other board members to further advance their values, vision and commitment to delivering the highest quality electric commercial vehicles, service and charging solutions available,” Jack said. “Fleets today are challenged to both select and deploy EVs that meet their operational needs, as well as to ensure access to charging infrastructure. I spend much of my day thinking about this issue in my role at Verizon and I look forward to working with Lightning eMotors in its position as an industry leader as we collectively work towards answering those compelling questions.”
