What You Need to Know Now

ELFA Board Holds Spring Meeting in D.C.   

The ELFA Board of Directors met in-person in May under the leadership of Board Chair Mike DiCecco. During the Board meeting, ELFA leaders deliberated over a number of high-priority items focusing on the strategic direction of the association and the ultimate goal of ensuring that ELFA programs, products and services are responsive and continue to deliver value to members.

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta and staff offered updates on a variety of association activities, reporting exceptional membership renewal/recruitment and event attendance and an active state and federal advocacy agenda. Staff also shared updates on plans for the 61st ELFA Annual Convention, which will be held in-person on Oct.9-11.
   
Treasurer Dan Krajewski reported that the association is on target to meet its overall 2022 budget. The Nominating Committee has assembled a strong slate of candidates for Directors and Officers, which will be voted on by the ELFA membership prior to the Annual Convention in October.
  
Foundation Chair Nancy Pistorio offered an update on the activities of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.
   
The Board will meet next in October at the site of the ELFA Annual Convention in Marco Island, FL. Its Executive Committee will conduct its summer meeting in August.

Congrats Grads!  

CONGRATULATIONS to the graduates of the April 2022 Principles of Equipment Leasing and Finance Workshop! Participants put their knowledge to the test and passed with flying colors. Many thanks to teacher Kevin Prykull for ensuring that this workshop was informative, challenging, engaging and chock-full of awesome industry stories. The next workshop is scheduled Sept. 21-23 in Washington, DC.

Matt Hart Joins ELFA as Director of Government Relations 

MATT HART has joined the association as Director, Federal Government Relations, effective June 21. In this role Matt will be a critical part of the ELFA Federal Government Relations team. He will advocate on behalf of the industry on legislative and regulatory matters, manage ELFA’s political action committee, LeasePAC, and coordinate the Capitol Connections program. Matt formerly served as Manager, Government Affairs at CNH Industrial in Washington, D.C.

Cheers to our Q1 Mobile App Winner! 

CONGRATS to Karen Neathery of Baystone Government Finance/KS State Bank on winning ELFA’s Q1 mobile app contest!  Karen picked up some fun ELFA swag—and became a member of the #ELFAmugclub! ELFA members have an opportunity to win a $25 Amazon Prime gift card and cool ELFA swag each quarter. Don’t forget to download the ELFA Engage mobile app and participate in our quarterly contests. See details at www.elfaonline.org/app. 

Join the Summer App Contest! 

SUMMER IS HERE! If you’re planning a trip or a much-needed staycation, please share your summer fun on the Engage Wall of the ELFA Engage mobile app from July-September for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Prime gift card and ELFA swag! One winner will be chosen at random at the end of Q3! Learn more at www.elfaonline.org/app. #ELFAMugClub #WeAreELFA

Membership Minute

CHECK OUT ELFA’s State Law Compendium—a one-stop, members-only resource of relevant case law citations, statutes, regulations and comments that focuses specifically on the equipment finance industry. The compendium contains over 100 legal topic areas compiled by volunteer attorneys and is designed to serve as a springboard for researching legal questions throughout the 50 states and portions of Canada. Available courtesy of the ELFA Knowledge Hub. Learn more. 

ELFA Team Spirit

THE ELFA STAFF got together in June for its Q2 All-Team Meeting. The team discussed the year to date and the exciting initiatives ahead in 2022. Special kudos to Ray Jordan (left), Manager of Administration,  and Heather Staverman (right), Director of Meetings and Exhibits, on being presented a “Spot Award” from President and CEO Ralph Petta for exemplary service to the membership.

Operations & Technology Conference: Register Today

The Operations & Technology Conference and Exhibition, Sept. 12-14 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, provides the latest information on technology, software and operation issues that impact equipment finance executives and their clients. The conference will give you the tools to succeed in shifting markets and ever-changing customer desire. Get a sneak peek at the content in the feature story in this issue. For more information and to register, visit www.elfaonline.org/events/2022/OT/. 

Legal Spotlight

The ELFA Legal Forum held in May in Washington, DC, provided attorneys serving the equipment finance industry with critical updates on legal issues, practical takeaways for their daily practice and comprehensive discussions of key market segments. Congratulations to Marc Hamroff (below at center), Managing Partner of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, on being awarded ELFA’s 2022 Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence. ELFA Legal Committee Chair Jeanette N. Dannenfelser and ELFA President & CEO Ralph Petta presented the award to Marc in recognition of his significant contributions to the equipment finance industry and the association’s Legal Committee.

Mark Your Calendar: Accountants Conference

Get ready for a packed agenda at the Lease and Finance Accountants Conference, Sept. 12-14 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. This event provides the most up-to-date information on accounting issues that impact equipment lessors and your clients. For more information, go to www.elfaonline.org/events/2022/LAC/. 

Join Emerging Talent in New Orleans

Would you like the opportunity to mix, mingle and make new connections?  The Sept. 21 Emerging Talent Networking Event is designed for just that purpose.  It’s scheduled to coincide with the Lease Accounting and Operations & Technology Conferences. Conference attendees are encouraged to attend, as well as ELFA members in the New Orleans environs! Learn more at www.elfaonline.org/events. 

Learn Equipment Finance Basics on Sept. 21-23

The Principles of Equipment Leasing & Finance Workshop is all about helping your employees become more valuable members of your team. That means getting a full understanding of the basics of the business within the context of what is happening now in the marketplace. Year after year ELFA member companies send their employees to attend the workshop.  Why? Here’s what recent attendees had to say:

• “I’ve sat in on meetings in my office this week and recognized that I would not have been able to understand what was being discussed had I not attended the workshop last week. Thank you.” 
• “This was an excellent workshop. Would highly recommend to future colleagues!!”
  
• “Outstanding workshop!! Lots of information—all of the content valuable.”

The next workshop is scheduled Sept. 21-23 in Washington, DC.  For questions, contact [email protected].

Takeaways from the Innovation Roundtable 

At the May 19 ELFA Innovation Roundtable, attendees enjoyed a conversation focused on the theme “Beyond Portals: Evolving Digital Customer Experience.” Participants gained insights into how industry peers are dealing with the evolving landscape of digital customer experience solutions and adoption strategies. The Roundtable was hosted & facilitated by Deborah Reuben, CEO & Founder of TomorrowZone, and featured panelists from the ELFA Technology Innovation Work Group. Read takeaways from the event. Don’t miss the next ELFA Innovation Roundtables on Aug. 4 and Nov. 10. See details at www.elfaonline.org/events.

Keeping History Alive with the ELFA Equality Committee

On May 31, the Equality Committee wrapped up Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a special interactive webinar presentation featuring filmmaker and educator Reina Higashitani, “Retelling History Through Filmmaking.” Reina shed light on the Japanese American experience post-WW2, her approach to filmmaking, and her focus on DE&I within the film space. Watch a recording.

Watch Experts Discuss the State of Credit and Collections

At the Credit & Collections Conference, held in San Antonio in June, 170 professionals discussed the economy, the largest workplace change ever, human capital issues, inflation, the legal and regulatory environment, risk and bankruptcy, and other relevant topics. Watch presentations on the 2022 Credit Managers Survey and Collection Managers Survey presented at the Conference in the ELFA Knowledge Hub section of the association’s website.

Tax Pros Gather in Chicago

Over 50 tax professionals met in June for the 2022 ELFA Tax Best Practices Roundtable. Topics included sales tax, property tax, an update on federal and state income tax, tax automation and financing intangibles. Thank you to Kelley (Bradley) Winslow and Robert Kruger and the planning committee for an outstanding program. Thank you to Vertex for sponsoring and thank you to Akerman for hosting!