Ralph Petta

Ralph Petta Chief Operating Officer

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Ralph Petta serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing more than 600 member organizations in the $518 billion equipment finance sector. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Petta is responsible for executing the association's strategic vision and providing management and oversight for programs and services designed to add value to the association's members and their organizations.

Mr. Petta, an expert in the business of equipment finance, has been with the association since 1987, serving most recently as interim President. Previously, he was Vice President-Research & Industry Services at ELFA. In that role, Mr. Petta's primary responsibility was managing the development of the association's industry information resources and data-collection projects. In addition, he oversaw the development of various benchmarking and market research initiatives and related resources. He is often quoted in industry trade publications and is a frequent speaker about the role of equipment finance in the U.S. economy and developments in the equipment finance sector.

Mr. Petta has liaison responsibilities with several ELFA professional committees, including its Legal Committee, Equipment Management Committee, and International Committee as well as the association's Captive and Vendor Finance Business Council. As liaison to the ELFA's Financial Accounting Committee, he is responsible for managing the association's program to monitor and help develop strategy on key accounting and financial reporting issues of concern to ELFA member organizations.

Mr. Petta is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He completed the ASAE/University of Maryland Executive Development Program in Association Management and was selected a delegate to the ASAE Future Leaders Conference.

Before joining ELFA, Mr. Petta worked for nine years in the office of United States Senator Sam Nunn, serving in a variety of professional capacities. He was Senator Nunn's legislative assistant when he left to join the association. Mr. Petta graduated from Syracuse University earning a B.A. degree in political science.