Certified Lease & Finance Professionals (CLFPs) across the country celebrated their designation with in-person celebrations across the country and a virtual toast together mid-afternoon. CLFP Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Thursday of August to gather CLFPs across the globe together and recognize the successes of the CLFP Family.
CLFP Day is also the date when the CLFP Foundation names the annual Cindy Spurdle Award of Excellence Winner. The Cindy Spurdle Award was created in 2012 to acknowledge the CLFP who has contributed the most to the equipment leasing industry and best represents the CLFP ideals for the year. Nominees are submitted by the CLFP membership, and the final award candidate is voted upon by the entire CLFP board of directors. The Foundation is pleased to announce the 2023 Award Winner is Nate Gibbons, CLFP, Chief Experience Officer of QuickFi.
“I am deeply honored and grateful. As a young man coming out of college, I sometimes wondered whether I belonged here. I'm thrilled to know that I've made a positive impact on the industry,” Gibbons said. “I'm aware of the caliber of prior recipients, so I don't take this lightly. I am thankful for the countless individuals who have shaped who I am today, and for being given opportunities to make a difference.”
Throughout his career in the equipment leasing and finance industry, Gibbons has prioritized supporting the continued development of others, relationships, and client experience. In his current role, Gibbons oversees the customer experience strategy, including modifying products and business models to dramatically improve the speed and simplicity of the finance experience.
When asked about his continued positive impact on the industry, Gibbons said, “I'm sure the perceived significance of my contributions would vary widely depending on who you ask. Anything I can do to inspire and motivate others means a lot to me – whether it's college students I speak to, industry colleagues, or my QuickFi teammates. I am certainly proud to have worked alongside the impressive individuals who've helped make the global CLFP community what it is today. Who knows – perhaps the most significant contributions may come from the work our team at QuickFi is doing to bring positive change to commercial business lending.”
As a long time CLFP, and former member of the CLFP Board of Directions, Gibbons’ dedication and passion for professional development is ever-present. “Certain humbling experiences in my career have helped me to realize that significance is less about titles and recognition, and more about the extent to which I could devote myself to helping others.” Gibbons said. “The process of earning the certification certainly made me more technically proficient. The credibility and professional opportunities following the certification have contributed to my professional growth well beyond the content in the CLFP textbook.”
The CLFP Foundation is also eager to announce that Bob Humber, Paul Menzel and Russ Runnalls were honored with Lifetime Member Awards during CLFP Day.
The award was created in 2022 to honor those who contributed significantly to the Foundation over the years and remained involved throughout retirement. In 2023, the award has since been renamed the Larry LaChance Lifetime Member Award, in honor of long-time CLFP and Board Member, Larry LaChance, who passed earlier this year. Nominees were submitted by Foundation Board members and then voted on by the entire Board.
The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the commercial equipment finance industry. There are nearly 1,500 Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates located throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, India, Pakistan, Africa, and Australia.