TROY, Mich., (June 8, 2018) — Crestmark Equipment Finance (CEF), based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, announced promotions and new hires, reflecting steady momentum in CEF’s capacity to provide equipment finance, asset-management solutions and flexible vendor financing programs.
“We are proud to have such strong performers on our Crestmark team. Their experience and understanding of the leasing industry are a great asset to our division,” said Tom Rutherford, Crestmark Equipment Finance president. “The team reflects our expertise and our strategy to continue to grow Crestmark’s Equipment Finance Division. I’m pleased to recognize our staff and congratulate them on a job well done. ”
Chris Emge has been promoted to senior vice president, Western Division sales manager from first vice president. He is based in San Rafael, California, and reports to Tom Rutherford, CEF division president. Emge came to Crestmark in October 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where he was regional vice president since 2010. Prior to that, his work history includes positions at Merrimak Capital Company, where he was vice president of sales, and U.S. Bancorp Oliver-Allen Technology Leasing, where he was a senior vice president. Emge has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego.
John Crockett has been promoted to first vice president, managing director, credit and underwriting from vice president. Based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, he reports to Mark Matheson, executive vice president, chief credit officer. Crockett joined Crestmark in 2015 as managing director, credit and underwriting for the division. Previously, he managed the credit and collections departments at Macquarie Equipment Finance, where he last served as head of North American Operations. He has also held management positions in credit, collections and operations for Dana Commercial Credit, Heller Financial (acquired by GE Capital in 2001), and CIT Systems Leasing (acquired by the Macquarie Group in 2008). Crockett earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in management from Walsh College.
Stacey Farmer has been promoted to first vice president, senior counsel. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, James Recker. Farmer joined Crestmark in October 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where she was vice president, operations since 2007. Prior to joining TIP Capital, Farmer was in private practice with the law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC. She received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School.
Jeffrey Emrich has been named chief information officer for CEF and first vice president of the bank. He is based in Bloomfield Hills and reports to James Recker, chief operating officer and general counsel for CEF. Emrich rejoins Crestmark from Blue Bridge Financial LLC, where he was vice president of information technology. From 2014-16 he served Crestmark as vice president, information systems manager, a position he secured after Crestmark acquired TIP Capital, where he was chief information officer since 2002. He also held a director of information systems position at Lease Corporation of America. Emrich earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in business information technology from Walsh College.
David (Dave) McCallum has been promoted to first vice president, controller, from vice president. He is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Jack Talkington, executive vice president and chief financial officer. McCallum joined Crestmark in October 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where he was controller since 2004. Previously, he served as auditor for Plante & Moran PLLC for 13 years. McCallum earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from University of Michigan – Dearborn and a master’s degree in corporate finance from Walsh College.
James (Jim) Noyes joined Crestmark as first vice president, managing director – asset management; and reports to Tom Rutherford, CEF division president. Based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he joins Crestmark from BBVA Compass Financial Corporation where he served as vice president and director of equipment management and global risk management since 2013. Earlier, he was the business development manager of the remarketing division for Lifespan Technology Asset Management; vice president for Somerset Asset Services; and national account manager of commercial finance and leasing for IronPlanet. He has also served as senior vice president for: RBS Asset Finance, Greater Bay Capital, Heller Financial Corporation, and NationsCredit Commercial Corporation. Noyes earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
Dean Allman joined Crestmark as regional vice president, national account executive; and represents CEF in the west. He is based in San Ramon, California, and reports to Chris Emge, Western Division sales manager. Allman comes to Crestmark from SunTrust Equipment Finance and Leasing Corporation, where he served as regional leasing director. Previously, he worked for Cisco Systems Capital, where he was financial solutions manager; Dell Financial Services, where he was account manager; and Sun Microsystems Inc., where he was regional leasing manager. Allman earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University Northridge.
David Dieck joined Crestmark as collections manager and officer of the company. He is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to John Crockett, managing director, credit and underwriting. Dieck’s career includes positions at Lease Corporation of America, where he was financial services supervisor; World Credit Inc., where he was large balance collector; and CIS Management Services, where he served as collections specialist. Dieck has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University.
Laurie Larabell has been promoted to vice president, director of tax from assistant vice president, director of tax. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Dave McCallum, first vice president, controller for the division. Larabell joined Crestmark in October 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where she was director of tax since June 2000. Before that, she was tax manager for AT&T Systems Leasing. Larabell earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Eastern Michigan University.
Tyler Leitow has been promoted to assistant vice president, senior contract negotiator, from contract negotiator and officer of the bank. He is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Jim Recker, COO and general counsel. Leitow joined Crestmark in December 2016. Previously, he was an adjunct professor of business law at Washtenaw Community College; program manager and in-house counsel for UniFi Equipment Finance; commercial documentation specialist for Bank of Ann Arbor; an associate for Kane & Co. PLC; and served a judicial clerkship for The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Leitow earned a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology and criminal justice from Central Michigan University and a J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He also serves as treasurer for the Historic Planning Commission for the City of Farmington and is a board member for The Family Learning Institute in Washtenaw County.
Jodi McNamara has been promoted to vice president, lease accounting manager from assistant vice president. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Dave McCallum, first vice president, controller. McNamara joined Crestmark in October 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where she was an accountant since 2003. Previously, she worked for ComTech Capital and Rave Financial Services. She has a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University.
Kelly Neubecker has been promoted to vice president, counsel, from assistant vice president, senior contract negotiator. In this role, she will be responsible for all syndications transactions and will manage the syndications administration team, while continuing to assist with documentation of CEF-originated transactions. She will also continue to oversee the division’s collection, litigation, and bankruptcy matters. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to Jim Recker, COO and general counsel. Neubecker joined Crestmark with the company’s 2014 acquisition of TIP Capital, where she was employed since 2007. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant general counsel with a real estate investment and management company. She has a bachelor’s degree in business/human resources management from Wayne State University and a J.D. from Wayne State Law School. Neubecker is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.
Geoff Peters, CEF division vice president, syndications has been promoted to first vice president of the bank. He is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to CEF President Thomas Rutherford. Peters joined Crestmark in 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where he was chief credit officer and vice president, syndications since 2003. Prior to TIP Capital, his career includes positions at Varilease Corporation as assistant director, syndications; AT&T Systems Leasing Corporation as credit manager; and U.S. Leasing/Ford Motor Credit Company as supervisor of administration, municipal finance. Peters earned a Bachelor’s of Science in management from Oakland University and an MBA in finance from Michigan State University.
Rebecca (Becci) Prehn is a manager of sales/operations and officer for CEF and has been promoted to officer of the bank. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, and reports to John Crockett, managing director, credit and underwriting. Prehn has been a valuable member of the CEF team since 2007.
Stephen Provo has been promoted to assistant vice president, asset management and portfolio analyst/pricing in the Bloomfield Hills office. He joined Crestmark in 2016. Prior to that, he served as assistant vice president at Huntington Technology Finance and in various positions at Americorp Financial, Lease Corporation of America, CIT, AT&T Systems Leasing and in the U.S. Navy. Provo has a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and finance from Oakland University.
Mary Rasmussen joined Crestmark as a contract negotiator in January and has been promoted to director of operations, assistant vice president. She is based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and reports to Stacey Farmer, first vice president and senior counsel. Previously, Rasmussen served as senior manager, sales facilitator and vice president for Macquarie Equipment Finance, LLC, which acquired CIT Systems Leasing in 2008. During her 13-year tenure with CIT Systems Leasing, her roles included: assistant vice president, lease operations; manager, contracts and funding; and contract negotiator analyst. Before entering the equipment leasing industry, she worked as a paralegal for the law firms of Dickinson Wright PLLC and Abbott Nicholson P.C. Rasmussen earned a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Madonna University.
Marc Segal joined Crestmark as regional vice president, business development and represents CEF in the east. Based in Stowe, Vermont, he reports to Arick Levine, Eastern Division sales manager. Segal comes to Crestmark from Killick Aerospace, where he served as managing director – corporate development. Previously, he worked for Northfield Capital LLC, where he was managing director; Integrated Funding Solutions, where he was managing director; and Adheva Inc., where he was executive vice president. His career began at BTM Capital Corporation, where he served for 18 years; roles included managing director of the aviation division and vice president, senior marketing officer. Segal received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Business Administration from The Simon Business School at the University of Rochester.
Chris Shaheen was promoted to assistant vice president, asset management from remarketing manager at Crestmark. Prior to joining Crestmark, he was an auditor at Plante Moran. He is a registered certified public accountant with expertise in financial reporting, asset management and remarketing. Shaheen earned a master’s degree in accounting from Western Michigan University.
Richard Sorgenfrei was promoted to tax manager and assistant vice president from senior tax accountant. He is based in Bloomfield Hills and reports to Laurie Larabell. Sorgenfrei had worked at TIP Capital since 2007, which was acquired by Crestmark in 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and an MBA from Baker College for Graduate Studies.
Debbie Thomas joined Crestmark as assistant vice president, senior credit analyst; and is based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She reports to John Crockett, first vice president, managing director, credit and underwriting. Thomas comes to Crestmark from Huntington Technology Finance, where, in her 25-year tenure there, roles included portfolio manager, team leader; senior credit manager; and contract negotiator/analyst. Previously, she worked for Comerica Bank, where she served as commercial loan analyst, and also legal assistant II. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from Wayne State University.
Robert Williams joined Crestmark as regional vice president, national account executive. He is based in Ladera Ranch, California, and reports to Chris Emge, senior vice president, Western Division sales manager. Williams comes to Crestmark from First National Capital, where he served as an account executive. Previously, he worked for American Power Conversion, where he was a team lead service coordinator.