The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation reached a new milestone, and its membership is now greater than 1,000. The Board of Directors is pleased to announce 57 individuals who recently sat through the eight-hour online CLFP exam, have passed, and Jay Christiansen of US Bank was the 1,000th member.

The new members are:

• Benjamin Alcorn, CLFP – National Program Manager, U.S. Bank
• Samantha Aldinger, CLFP Associate – AVP-Project Manager, First American Equipment Finance
• Trevor Anderson, CLFP – Relationship Manager, U.S. Bank
• Megha Banerjee, CLFP – Senior Business Analyst, Odessa
• Erick Banker, CLFP Associate – Sr. Credit Analyst, First American Equipment Finance
• Kelly Bauch, CLFP Associate – AVP, Relationship Manager, First American Equipment Finance
• Roxanne Bobo, CLFP – Internal Account Manager, Philips Medical Capital, LLC, DLL
• Joseph Borges, CLFP – Account Manager, North Mill Equipment Finance LLC
• Alex Bryson, CLFP – Implementation Team Lead, LTi Technology Solutions
• Joshua Budny, CLFP – Vice President, Manufacturing, First American Equipment Finance
• Greg Campbell, CLFP – Vice President, Business Development, First American Equipment Finance
• Dean Ceglia, CLFP – Managing Partner, DNC Consulting LLC
• Donna Christensen, CLFP – Financial Analyst, CSC Global
• Jay Christiansen, CLFP – Financial Analyst, U.S. Bank
• Andrew Cvitanov Jr., CLFP – VP of Product Management, DLL
• Anthony Dahms, CLFP – Vice President, Data Management, U.S. Bank
• Kari Edgington, CLFP – Director of Contract Management, DLL
• Pierina Gonzalez Silvestre, CLFP Associate – Loss Mitigation Manager, North Mill Equipment Finance LLC
• Lisa Guelzow, CLFP – Senior Specialist, Key Equipment Finance
• Jennifer Hagman, CLFP – Regional Sales Manager, U.S. Bank
• Andrew Hartman, CLFP – Credit Analyst, U.S. Bank
• Maggie Holly, CLFP – Senior Vice President, Hanmi Bank
• Douglas Jackson, CLFP – Manager Documentation and Funding, North Mill Equipment Finance LLC
• Donald Kemp, CLFP – Sales Manager, Industrial, DLL
• Stacy Kiley, CLFP – Documentation Manager, OEVS, Officer, U.S. Bank
• Kevin Lacey, CLFP – Vice President Business Development, DLL
• Stephanie Leyba, CLFP – Documentation & Funding Manager, Anuva Capital
• Sung Lim, CLFP – Market Credit Administrator, U.S. Bank
• Michael Luftig, CLFP – Assistant Vice President, First American Equipment Finance
• Michele Majkowski, CLFP Associate – AVP – Project Manager, First American Equipment Finance
• Britta McSparen, CLFP – Program Manager, Food and Agriculture, DLL
• Andrew Mellon, CLFP – Relationship Support Manager, Hanmi Bank
• Diana Olivo, CLFP Associate – Credit Analyst, North Mill Equipment Finance LLC
• Danielle Ormberg, CLFP – Charge-off Manager, U.S. Bank
• Lorraine Perkins, CLFP – Financial Specialist, Philips Medical Capital, DLL
• Carey Pierangeli, CLFP – Sales Support Manager – Tech Solutions, DLL
• Erik Porter, CLFP – Assistant Vice President, Sales, U.S. Bank
• Heather Burns Pozniak, CLFP Associate – Senior Litigation & Bankruptcy Specialist, DLL
• Erik Riggleman, CLFP Associate – Senior Financial Analyst, First American Equipment Finance
• Robert Rinaldi, CLFP – President, Rinaldi Advisory Services
• Philip Rivera, CLFP – Assistant Vice President, First American Equipment Finance
• Arthur Royter, CLFP – District Sales Manager, DLL
• Michelle Ruskey, CLFP Associate – AVP, Project Manager, First American Equipment Finance
• Donald Seeley, CLFP – VP of Business Development, Beacon Funding Corp.
• Ashley Smith, CLFP – Business Development – Intermediary Relations, VFI Corporate Finance
• James Stanley, CLFP – Program Manager Golf, Turf, & Recreational Products, DLL
• Debbie Stibbe, CLFP – AVP-Loss Mitigation Manager, U.S. Bank
• Kit Yee Studholme, CLFP – Director of Sales – Consumer & Business Banking, U.S. Bank
• Michael Sulava, CLFP – Business Development Representative, KLC Financial, Inc.
• David Thommen, CLFP – Director, IT, Terex Financial Services, Inc.
• Sonia Thompson, CLFP – Large Ticket Credit Analyst, Vice President, U.S. Bank
• Benjamin Tucker IV, CLFP – Vice President, Technology Division, First American Equipment Finance
• Melissa Vinson, CLFP – Sales Support Specialist, U.S. Bank
• Jeffrey Wenrich, CLFP – Vice President, Community Banking, Capital Equipment Group, U.S. Bank
• Elizabeth Wiltberger – AVP-Project Manager, First American Equipment Finance
• Amy Wingate, CLFP – Chief Credit Risk Officer, Global Partner Organization, Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Joseph Zrinzo, CLFP – Vice President - Sales, Ascentium Capital LLC

“To be named the 1,000th member of this group of knowledgeable leasing professionals is an honor and one of the most memorable experiences I have had in my career,” said Jay Christiansen, Financial Analyst at U.S. Bank. “I know firsthand the hard work and dedication required from each one of us with a CLFP designation, and it is just a special feeling to know I am part of that group. U.S. Bank prioritizes employee development, and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to pursue this designation.”

Reid Raykovich, CLFP, Executive Director of the Foundation, stated, “About seven years ago, our then Board President, David Normandin, put our 2020 membership goal at 1,000. To me, that number seemed unfathomable because at the time, we were only at 201 CLFPs and Associates. It may have taken an additional few months to get there due to COVID-19, but May 5, 2021 will forever be remembered as the day we gained a comma. I am so grateful to all of the members who have gotten us here and especially grateful to our board and committee members past and present. Without them, we never could have achieved this.”

Learn how the foundation reached that milestone and its plans for the future, read an Equipment Finance Advisor interview with Raykovich.