During the 52nd Annual Convention of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the association announced its new Board of Directors and Officers who will serve during the next 12 months. Adam D. Warner, President of Key Equipment Finance, is the Chairman of the Board and Robert Rinaldi, Senior Vice President of CSI Leasing, is now Chairman-elect.

The Chairman-elect and new board members were recommended by ELFA’s Nominating Committee and approved by a vote of the general membership.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Adam Warner as Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2014,” said ELFA President and CEO William G. Sutton, CAE.  “Adam’s proven leadership skills, industry knowledge and dedication to our association will have a positive impact on both the ELFA membership and the equipment finance industry at large in the coming year.”

“The equipment leasing and finance industry plays an important role in the U.S. economy both by helping companies of all sizes acquire the equipment they need to remain competitive, and by its influence on manufacturing, job creation and overall economic growth,” said Warner. “It is my honor to serve as Chairman of the Board of ELFA, and I look forward to working with my fellow ELFA members to advocate for and further advance our industry over the coming year.”

As President of Key Equipment Finance, Warner is responsible for the company’s commercial and bank-based equipment lease and finance efforts, as well as equipment finance programs for the corporate aviation, technology, energy, healthcare, specialty vehicle and government vertical market segments. He also oversees the equipment finance programs for the company’s vendor customers, including equipment manufacturers and distributors in the U.S., Canada and Europe and for the company’s advisory and distribution services units.

Warner has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Key Equipment Finance in 2001, he worked as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Mellon Leasing Corporation, where he had worked since 1988, also serving as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  Warner also held the position of Operations Manager at McDonnell Douglas Finance Corp. from 1985-1988.

Warner joined ELFA’s Board of Directors in 2007 and became Vice-Chairman in 2010. He has also served on the Executive Committee and the Succession and Transition Committee. In addition to his active participation in ELFA, Warner serves on the Advisory Board for Food for Thought–Denver and is a member of the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business Board.

The new members of the ELFA Board of Directors include:

• Martha Ahlers, VP and COO, United Leasing, Inc.
• Ron Arrington, Global President, Vendor Finance, CIT
• Diane Croessmann, Executive Director - Worldwide, Lenovo Financial Services
• Brian Griffin, Senior VP – Leasing, MB Financial Bank, N.A.
• Miles Herman, President and COO, LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc.
• Gary Kempinski, Executive General Manager, GE Capital Commercial Finance
• Steve Whelan, Partner, Blank Rome LLP

James McGrane, President and CEO, EverBank Commercial Finance; William Stephenson, Chairman, Global Vendor Finance, De Lage Landen Financial Services; and Thomas  Jaschik, President, BB&T Equipment Finance were elected by the membership to serve as ELFA Vice Chairs. Jud Snyder, President, BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company, will serve as Treasurer and Paul Stilp, ELFA’s Vice President of Finance and Administration, continues to serve as Secretary. William G. Sutton, CAE, serves as President and CEO.

Rick Remiker, Executive VP, Group Head, Specialty Banking, The Huntington National Bank, is Immediate Past Chairman. Other members of the Board are:

• Bill Besgen, President and COO, Hitachi Capital America Corp.
• Robert Boyer, President, Susquehanna Commercial Finance
• Susan Carol, CEO, Susan Carol Associates Public Relations
• Anthony Cracchiolo, President and CEO, Vendor Services, U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance, a division of U.S. Bank National Association
• Daniel Dyer, Co-Founder and CEO, Marlin Leasing Corp.
• Christopher Enbom, CEO and Chairman, Allegiant Partners Inc.
• Ed Hetherington, President, Doosan Infracore Financial Solutions
• Daniel McCabe, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, U.S. and Canada, John Deere Financial
• John McQueen, President, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc.
• David T. Schaefer, CEO, Mintaka Financial, LLC
• Larry A. Smilie, Managing Director, Banc of America Leasing
• Scott Thacker, CEO, Ivory Consulting Corporation

Dave Gilmore, John Deere Financial, was elected by the Board to serve the remaining year of Daniel McCabe’s term. McCabe will retire at the end of November after 40 years at Deere.