The first 100 days of my tenure as ELFA President and CEO have been rewarding, informative and exciting. I am deep into my listening tour to understand the issues that are impacting our industry and your businesses. To everyone I’ve spoken with, thank you for your exceptional hospitality and for investing the time to share your insights. The information gleaned from our discussions has been valuable. As the tour continues, I am working closely with the ELFA Board and staff to ensure your perspectives are appropriately understood and that we are making plans to address your needs and concerns.
This is an exciting time as we work to move our association into its next phase, navigating the digital landscape and exploring new opportunities on behalf of our members. Some highlights from this issue of Equipment Leasing & Finance Magazine include:
Education and Training - Leveraging a review completed last year and a technology audit underway this year, we are focused on enhancing our educational offerings to ensure we meet member needs. Read our cover story, “State of Funding 2024,” for a preview of the upcoming Funding Conference, April 16-18 in Chicago. As Board Chair Rob Boyer says, “Everyone who’s a player in this space attends this event. And it’s especially important this year when so much change is going on.” For a full listing of in-person, online and hybrid ELFA events, visit www.elfaonline.org/calendar/.
Government Relations - Maintaining a strong federal and state government relations program that advances the legislative and policy interests of our members and the industry is a top priority. Read “Your Participation Counts” to learn about our biggest advocacy event of the year, Capitol Connections on May 22 in Washington, D.C. And speaking of advocacy, don’t miss the “Legal Update on Section 1071” in this issue, as well as the launch of our new interactive state disclosure map.
Business Intelligence - Collecting and sharing business intelligence designed to help members make informed decisions is another key priority. Read ELFA News to learn how your company can participate in the 2024 Survey of Equipment Finance Activity, which includes new questions on electric and hybrid vehicles and the use of AI for equipment finance organizations.
Elevating Our Public Profile - Raising awareness about the equipment finance industry as an essential economic driver is critical. We are working to highlight the role of this industry in the macro economy and its vital importance for productivity. The story “The Positive Power of Equipment Finance” spotlights another example of our industry’s impact: Our tradition of “giving back” to the local community. Meet ELFA members who are finding meaningful and impact-driven ways to make a difference, while inspiring others to do the same.
Membership - We are experiencing a strong membership renewal season, and the association is on target to meet or surpass our 90% retention goal. Make sure you’re taking advantage of all the benefits of your membership—read “What You Need to Know Now” for a run-down of the latest ELFA resources available to you.
Finally, in the previous issue of this magazine, we mentioned that the Board has approved funds to modernize ELFA’s technology platform. I’m excited to share that we recently kicked off a full-scale technology audit to advance the association’s operations and member offerings. This is a key effort for 2024 to meet our objective of being a best-in-class association. We’ll keep you updated as this exciting project moves along.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at ELFA headquarters if you’d like to get more involved with the association or if you have any thoughts or questions about maximizing your membership.
