The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (Foundation) announced the 2024 officers of its Board of Trustees (Board). Board Officers serving are Zack Marsh, CLFP, SVP, Accounting and Analysis, AP Equipment Financing as Chair; Miles Herman, CEO, LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc. as Vice Chair; Peter Bullen, Group Head, Key Equipment Finance as Secretary/Treasurer; and Leigh Lytle, President and CEO, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) as President. Nancy Pistorio, CLFP, President, Madison Capital LLC is Immediate Past Chair. The officer elections were held during the Board‘s annual meeting.
New members appointed to the Foundation Board of Trustees include Jim DeFrank, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Isuzu Finance of America, Inc.; Jeffrey Dicosola, Sales Manager, Great American Insurance Group; Martin Klotzman, Director of Marketing and Operations, Ivory Consulting Corporation; and Brittany Ogden, Attorney, Partner, Quarles & Brady LLP.
“The Foundation’s 2024 Board brings a wealth of leadership and industry experience to their roles as Trustees,” said Zack Marsh. “We are privileged to have such talent, commitment and expertise serving the Foundation and its mission for the advancement of the equipment finance industry.”
Trustees continuing on the Board for 2024 are:
- Andrew Blacklock, Vice President, Strategy and Business Operations, Cisco Systems Capital Corporation
- Cindy Fleck, Senior Vice President and General Manager Equipment Finance, Channel
- Valerie Gerard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, The Alta Group LLC
- Shari Lipski, CLFP, Principal, ECS Financial Services, Inc.
- Mark Loken, Vice President, Credit, Farm Credit Leasing
- David Normandin, CLFP, President and CEO, Wintrust Specialty Finance
- Ricardo E. Rios, CLFP, COO, Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.
- Nancy Robles, President, Eastern Funding LLC
- William Tefft, SVP Equipment Management, Banc of California
- Donna Yanuzzi, SVP Director, 1st Equipment Finance, Inc. (FNCB Bank)
Kelli Nienaber will continue to serve as Executive Director.
Steven R. LeBarron Award
Research Committee Chair Thomas Ware honored Valerie Gerard with the Steven R. LeBarron Award for Principled Research. A member of the Foundation Research Committee (FRC) and a Foundation Trustee since 2018, Gerard also serves on the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing (JELF) and the Nominating Committee. She is being recognized for her work on content development for the Foundation podcast, which is growing as a channel to share Foundation content, including hosting study researchers as guests to share their expertise and insights. Gerard will take the lead as Chair of the FRC in 2024. This award is presented annually in memory of Steven LeBarron to the FRC member who demonstrates the insight, fortitude, and dedication he exemplified.