The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association announces that Scott Riehl has joined the organization as Vice President of State Government Relations, effective June 1. Riehl will direct and execute all aspects of the association’s state government relations strategy, monitoring and engaging legislation and regulation impacting the industry in all 50 states.

Riehl brings 24 years of direct issue advocacy, legal and legislative staff experience to ELFA. For 13 years he represented the consumer products industry, including serving as Vice President of State Government Affairs and Associate Counsel at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Prior to GMA, Riehl served as a Vice President at Stateside Associates, a full-service state legislative tracking company, where he provided direct political consultation for numerous Fortune 500 companies and D.C.-based trade associations. Previously, Riehl was a state affairs specialist for the National Rifle Association of America. Immediately prior to joining ELFA, he led the Riehl Group LLC, a political and strategic issue management and consulting firm based in Virginia.

In the legal and state legislative arenas, Riehl worked in the Washington, D.C., office of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather and Geraldson, where he specialized in the firm’s government and defense contracts practice. Previously, he was on the staff of the Michigan Attorney General. Riehl began his government relations career in the Michigan Senate, where he served as Counsel and Chief Legislative Aide for two Michigan state senators. Riehl has a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Vermont and a J.D. from Thomas Cooley School of Law.

Riehl succeeds Dennis Brown, who has served as ELFA Vice President of State Government Relations for 23 years and will retire at the end of 2016.

“We are delighted to welcome Scott to lead ELFA’s state government relations program,” said ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta. “His exceptional advocacy, legal and state legislative experience will be valuable assets as we continue to advance a strong state government relations agenda in support of the equipment leasing and finance industry.”

“This is a dynamic industry that I believe is essential to the health and promise of our economy,” said Riehl. “I am honored to join the volunteer leaders and staff of ELFA as we continue to support the association’s commitment to sound public policy by assuring that state legislators and regulators understand the equipment finance industry and are educated about the high standards to which ELFA members hold themselves.”