The Chris Walker Education Fund Board of Trustees is continuing its annual mission in honoring the late NEFA Member and Member of NEFA’s Board of Directors, Chris Walker. The Chris Walker Education Fund focuses on an issue near and dear to Chris’s heart – education and the idea of a “lifetime of learning.”

The Board is actively raising funds and accepting grant requests to honor Chris’s great service to the industry until the application deadline of Feb. 28, 2023. The fund will award a total of $20,000 in grants to be distributed by the end of February 2023. The grant application process is available to individuals as well as associations, foundations and institutions. Individual grants may be requested up to $1,500, or an amount equal to the cost of qualified industry-related education.

Funds available through the Chris Walker Education Fund may be used for any project or need that provides industry education opportunities for leasing professionals. This includes grants for industry-related education, certifications (such as the Certified Lease and Finance Professionals (CLFP) designation), educational initiatives of the NEFA, or other educational initiatives related to the equipment finance industry. Through its founding in 2011, the Chris Walker Education Fund has now funded over $100,000 in educational grants. All grant requests must be submitted online through the following link: https://www.nefassociation.org/about-us/chris-walker-education-fund/.

Education was always important to Chris Walker, as a NEFA Member and Member of NEFA's Board of Directors. When Chris passed away in 2011, many NEFA Members and other industry professionals wanted some way they could make a donation to honor Chris and continue his great service to this industry. This resulted in the creation within NEFA of the Chris Walker Education Fund. The Board of Trustees is industry leaders who donate their time and talents to promote the mission of the Chris Walker Education Fund.

Committee Members:

• Laura Carini, CLFP, Financial Pacific Leasing
• Randy Haug, LTi Technology Solutions
• Jaimie Haver, Happy Manufacturing, Inc.
• Kim King, CLFP, BankFinancial Equipment Finance
• Chris Lerma, CLFP, AP Equipment Financing
• Tim McConnell, Navitas Credit Corporation
• Kayla Perlinger, CLFP, Oakmont Capital Services, LLC
• Chad Sluss, NEFA