Executive Committee Focuses on Education
The Executive Committee of the ELFA Board met in August in Manchester Village, Vermont, under the leadership of Board Chair Bob Neagle. The committee, which is the association’s primary management body, meets twice a year to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the association and make strategic decisions regarding programming, policy and budget priorities covering the near and long term.A key focus of this year’s meeting was the recent audit of ELFA’s education and training offerings. Earlier this year the association hired a consulting firm to conduct an in-depth survey of the membership and develop recommendations based on the findings, with the goal of ensuring the association’s programming aligns with member needs (see “From the President & CEO” in this issue).
The Executive Committee gave tentative approval to a work plan and budget for 2024, which will be addressed by the Board in October for formal adoption.
ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta reported that the association is in good standing in 2023, 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 2023 ELFA Annual Convention, which is scheduled to take place in Phoenix, Arizona on Oct. 22-24.
Neagle reported that the search for a successor CEO/President to replace Ralph Petta, who will retire at the end of 2023, is progressing well, with the process on track to be completed in the fourth quarter of the year.
Recognizing Distinguished Service
ELFA has selected Dominic Liberatore to receive its 2023 Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award, which honors the association’s top volunteers. Liberatore, who is Deputy General Counsel at DLL, will be formally recognized during a ceremony at the 62nd ELFA Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, in October. Learn more about Dominic’s contributions.
5 Takeaways: AI and Equipment Finance
ELFA’s third Innovation Roundtable of 2023 took a deep dive into the topic of “AI and the Future of Equipment Finance.” Read takeaways from this popular event, facilitated by Deb Reuben of TomorrowZone and hosted by the ELFA Innovation Advisory Council. The quarterly Innovation Roundtables are an opportunity to find out what is on the mind of your peers, share ideas and discover new approaches for tackling your innovation challenges. Register today for the Nov. 16 Innovation Roundtable at www.elfaonline.org/events.
Stay Connected on LinkedIn
click the “Follow” button on the following pages to receive the latest ELFA updates, share information and network with other members of the equipment finance community: ELFA LinkedIn company page
ELFA Equity page
Emerging Talent Advisory Council page
Women4Inclusion Group
Dues Renewal Season Is Around the Corner!
Key Dates to Remember….
Nov. 8, 2023 – 2024 membership dues invoices emailed to key contactsDec. 31, 2023 – Deadline to pay 2024 dues
THROUGHOUT 2024 – Take advantage of ELFA’s many benefits!
Contact [email protected] to learn more about the resources available to all ELFA members.
ELFA Honors Tech Innovator
CONGRATULATIONS to Oakmont Capital Services, winner of ELFA’s 2023 Operations and Technology Excellence Award. Oakmont is recognized for bringing together multiple partners with a shared goal of upgrading technology while still running a fast-growing business. The winning project was recognized at the 2023 Operations and Technology Conference in September and will be featured in the breakout session “Leading Process and Technology Transformation for the Future” at the upcoming ELFA Annual Convention. Learn more about the award at www.elfaonline.org/about/awards/ote.
Membership Minute
LOG INTO your ELFA profile and check out your new Account Tools on the ELFA website! Members may access their event receipts, publication order history, donation records, current committee participation and much more. ELFA is enhancing the Account Tools to improve the member experience. Check out your Account Tools today by logging on to the ELFA website at www.elfaonline.org and clicking on Account Tools under My Profile in the upper right corner. Contact [email protected] with questions.Lessons from a Leader
CHECK OUT the latest “Ask a Leader” interview with Suzzanne Salsbury, Salesforce Product Development Manager at Arvest Equipment Finance. Find out what Suzzanne says is the most important responsibility as a leader, why it’s important to have an honest conversation with yourself when it comes to hiring and how she has worked to overcome imposter syndrome. Plus: Why ELFA is her trusted resource for gaining industry knowledge and insight. This insightful interview series is brought to you by the Emerging Talent Advisory Council. Read more.
Women in the Spotlight
The ELFA Women’s Council is shining a light on women in equipment finance through its Women’s Spotlight interview series. In the latest Q&A, meet Kirsten Hawkins, Director of Marketing at SCJ Commercial Financial Services. In this fun read, learn how Kirsten found her way to equipment finance and a valuable piece of advice that has stuck with her throughout her career. Plus: Letting go of perfectionism and learning the value of a 5-minute dance party. Read more.
ELFA Mug Club Grows
Congrats to Jon Biorkman of BMO Harris Equipment Finance on winning ELFA’s Q2 mobile app contest. He posted how he supports his favorite charity in the ELFA Engage app and picked up some fun ELFA swag. You can join Jon and become a member of the #ELFAmugclub by downloading the app and joining our latest contest at www.elfaonline.org/app.
Join the Convention App Challenge
Heading to the Annual Convention in Phoenix? Grab a scavenger hunt list from the ELFA booth and post a photo of something on the list in the Engage Wall of the ELFA Engage mobile app. Submissions posted from Oct. 22-29 will be eligible to win a $50 Amazon Prime gift card and ELFA swag. Click the pencil sign in the top-right corner to post and get started. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ELFAConvention in your post! Three winners will be chosen at random. Learn more at www.elfaonline.org/app. Contact Julie Benson at [email protected] with questions. We Bring the Training to You
Did you know that ELFA offers customized, in-house Principles of Leasing & Finance Workshops? Hosting a workshop at your own facility gives you the flexibility and convenience to address specific learning needs of your employees, establish collective knowledge and reach your business goals.
Here’s what Joe Powell, President of WC Leasing, said about his organization’s recent ELFA workshop:“Everyone was energized and they not only reinforced, and in some cases reclaimed, some forgotten information, but also received new and important insights regarding leasing and their approaches to their existing and new contacts. The onsite session was just what we needed, and I highly encourage others to do the same.”
For more information, visit www.elfaonline.org/POL or contact Alexa Carnibella at [email protected].
Delve Into Industry Hot Topics
Have you visited the Industry Topics pages from the ELFA Knowledge Hub lately? These pages are a “one-stop-shop” showcasing information on 16 key topic areas from ELFA and the Foundation. The newest topics address Section 1071 at www.elfaonline.org/1071. Other topics include Data, Benchmarking & Forecasting; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Electronic Documents; Emerging Talent; Equipment Management; Environmental, Social, and Governance; Funding & Alternative Finance; Human Capital; Lease Accounting; Legal Resources; Operations & Technology; Risk Management; State Disclosure; Vertical Markets; and Women’s Leadership.Share Your Company’s News
Calling all ELFA members! As a benefit of membership, you are invited to submit your press releases to the association using our online form at www.elfaonline.org/news/add. Your news will be considered for inclusion on the ELFA website, in our weekly ELFA QuickBrief e-newsletter, on the ELFA Engage app and on our Twitter feed. Questions? Contact Amy Vogt at [email protected].
Share:
Article Tags:
EL&F magazine article
ELFA News
Department
2023