What You Need to Know Now

ELFA Executive Committee Holds Summer Meeting

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the ELFA Board met in August in Sonoma, California, under the leadership of Board Chair Kris Snow. The Committee, which is the association’s primary management body, meets three times annually to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the association and make decisions regarding programming, policy and budget priorities covering the near and long term.

This was the first in-person meeting of the Committee since March 2020. During the meeting, ELFA leaders discussed the state of the equipment finance industry and 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 reported that the association is in good standing in 2021, with solid membership renewal/recruitment and event participation. The committee reviewed program updates in the areas of membership, business and professional development, public policy, research and industry information, and communications. In addition, they discussed plans for the 2021 ELFA Annual Convention, which is scheduled to take place in-person and virtually on Oct. 24-26 in San Antonio, Texas.

Ask a Leader

DON'T MISS the Emerging Talent Advisory Council’s latest “Ask a Leader” interviews featuring a diverse group of ELFA members. The leaders discuss their formative professional years, their successes and challenges and their advice for future leaders in the industry. Check out recent conversations with:

Troy Graziani, Director of Credit & Customer Experience, Toyota Industries Commercial Finance, Inc


Sherrie Kalajian, Senior Director – Syndications, Presidio Technology Capital


Read the interviews at www.elfaonline.org/industry-topics/emerging-talent/ask-a-leader.

Announcing the ELFA Engage App Contest Winner!

CONGRATS TO Kris Dobrowski, Commercial Finance Manager at Priority One Financial Services, Inc., who was randomly selected as the winner of the June ELFA Engage mobile app contest. Kris and other ELFA members posted messages of support for Pride Month on the app. As our winner, Kris picked up some ELFA swag and became a member of the #ELFAmugclub. Thank you to everyone who participated. Get ready for our next contest, coming in October! Download the app today at www.elfaonline.org/app.

Dues Renewal Season is Around the Corner!

Key Dates to Remember….

• Nov. 15, 2021 – 2022 ELFA membership dues invoices emailed to Key Contacts 
• Dec. 31, 2021 – Deadline to pay 2022 dues 
• THROUGHOUT 2022 – Take advantage of ELFA’s many benefits! 
Contact [email protected] to learn more about the resources available to all ELFA members. 

Join the Innovation Roundtable on Nov. 18 

FORWARD-THINKING equipment finance leaders are actively seeking the next breakthrough. Find out what’s on the mind of your peers, share ideas and discover new approaches for tackling business challenges at the Innovation Roundtable on Nov. 18. This virtual event will be hosted by ELFA’s Technology Innovation Working Group and Deb Reuben of TomorrowZone. Learn more at www.elfaonline.org/events. 

Visconage Joins the Foundation

Charlie Visconage has joined the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation as Director of Marketing, Communications and Development. Charlie will be responsible for developing and executing the Foundation’s communication and marketing strategy and implementing digital engagement campaigns to promote and enhance the organization’s growth, visibility and impact. Charlie is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with over 10 years of experience in for-profit and non-profit organizations. His previous work experience includes positions in education, healthcare and aviation non-profits executing marketing strategies and campaigns, email marketing, podcast and video production and copywriting.

Tech Innovation Winner Announced

CONGRATULATIONS TO Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co., a Sasser Family Company, the recipient of ELFA’s 2021 Operations and Technology Excellence Award. Their award-winning project was showcased during ELFA’s Operations and Technology Conference LIVE! on Sept. 14. Learn more about the winning project here.

Membership Minute

Check Out the NEW Communications Preferences in Your ELFA Profile 

Designate your communication preferences within your ELFA profile to customize the type of information you would like to receive.  Communications including announcements for ELFA conferences, the ELFA Engage mobile app, advocacy newsletters and ELFA research may be selected within each individual profile. You may do this by logging on to the ELFA website at www.elfaonline.org, clicking on Account Tools in the upper right corner and selecting Update Communication Preferences. Please verify that Exclude All Email is not selected to ensure delivery of timely information in your inbox. Contact [email protected] with questions. 

Ware to Receive Distinguished Service Award

ELFA has selected Thomas E. Ware to receive its 2021 Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the association and the equipment finance industry. Tom will be recognized at the 60th ELFA Annual Convention in October. He is President of Tom Ware Advisory Services LLC, and was for 18 years Senior Vice President, Analytics & Product Development at PayNet.

Tom has been an active member of ELFA for many years, contributing to the mission of the association in a number of key areas. As an expert on small business credit and leveraging data and analytics for the commercial finance industry, he is a long-time member of the Credit & Collections Committee and a past member of the Small Ticket Business Council Steering Committee. He has been a champion of the association’s business and professional development programs, helping to plan numerous events and serving as a regular conference speaker and facilitator. In addition, he is a frequent contributor to industry publications.

Tom also is active with the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. He is currently a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Executive Committee and Chair of the Research Committee. Most recently, he spearheaded the design and analysis of the Foundation’s COVID Impact and Recovery Survey.

Try Out the Interactive SEFA Dashboard

The Interactive SEFA Dashboard has been updated and is full of cutting-edge industry data. This free tool—which is only available to ELFA members—allows you to quickly and easily connect to a decade of critical statistics from the Survey of Equipment Finance Activity. In just a few clicks, you can segment the data by year, type of organization, market segment, size of organization and business model. It’s easy to select categories, add filters and drill down into specific information.

• Benchmark your company against others in the industry
• Find your own insights and identify trends
• Uncover new business opportunities and more. 

Visit the Dashboard at www.elfaonline.org/InteractiveSEFA. 

New Fact Sheets Highlight Vertical Markets

Ever wonder how prevalent equipment financing is in a particular industry? As part of ELFA’s campaign to promote equipment finance, the association has released a series of fact sheets that reveal equipment finance statistics and facts for 10 industries. View details on the association’s end-user website, www.equipmentfinanceadvantage.org/.

 

Spotlight on Mentoring 

If a structured mentoring program doesn’t exist within your workplace, have you considered proactively creating a mentorship relationship with someone you respect and admire? ELFA’s Emerging Talent Advisory Council is pleased to present “Mentorship: How to Build a Successful Mentor Relationship,” the newest addition to their career development series on the ELFA website. Note: The ELFA Women’s Council recently launched a pilot mentoring program—contact Amy Vogt at [email protected] to learn more.

Access Popular Webinar Recordings  

If you missed a recent ELFA webinar, we’ve got you covered! You can access the recording and slides from more than 30 webinars presented over the past year at www.elfaonline.org/events/elearning/web-seminars. From “The Future of Remote Work” to “eSigning and eLeasing: What Do You Want to Know?,” stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends by listening to these one-hour presentations from industry experts.

Enter the October Mobile App Challenge!  

Snap a photo toasting the association’s 60th anniversary in front of the ELFA selfie wall (located at the ELFA booth) during the 60th ELFA Annual Convention.  Submissions posted in the Engage Wall of the ELFA Engage mobile app from Oct 24-30 will be eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card.  Click the pencil sign in the top-right corner to post and get started and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ELFAConvention in your post. Two winners will be chosen!  Learn more at www.elfaonline.org/app and contact Julie Benson at [email protected] with questions. 

Member Recruitment Honors

Congratulations to the 2021 Captive & Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee for winning ELFA’s spring new member recruitment contest! The committee recruited more members on a percentage basis than any other BCSC in the spring timeframe and ELFA thanks the members of the committee for their efforts! If you know of a company that would benefit from ELFA membership, please email Julie Benson at [email protected].