At the 63rd 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. James Cress, Vice President & General Manager, Flex Financial, Stryker, is the new ELFA Board Chair and Deborah Baker, VP, Global Payment Solutions, HP, is now Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect and new Board members were recommended by ELFA’s Nominating Committee and approved by a vote of the general membership.

“I am honored to represent the members, board and staff of ELFA as the next Chair,” Cress said. “It is a privilege to build upon the strong foundation established by the remarkable leaders who have come before me, and I look forward to collaborating closely with CEO Leigh Lytle to bring the association’s bold vision and strategic objectives to life. I am excited about the tremendous opportunities ahead for this dynamic industry. Together, we will continue to drive innovation and growth, creating value for our members and making a positive impact on the industry and the broader economy in the coming year.”

“James Cress is the right leader for this pivotal moment in our association and industry,” said ELFA President and CEO Leigh Lytle. “During this exciting time of change as we focus on ‘investing forward,’ James’ deep industry knowledge and forward-thinking mindset will be invaluable assets. The $1 trillion equipment finance industry plays a vital role in the U.S. economy, and I’m confident that during James’ tenure as Chair, ELFA will create new opportunities to help our members and our industry drive the next era of American growth."

As an active member of ELFA since 2000, Cress has held a number of key leadership roles. He has served on the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Nominating Committee and as the Board liaison to the Emerging Talent Advisory Committee. He also has contributed to the association’s advocacy efforts as Chair of LeasePAC, ELFA’s political action committee, and a regular attendee of Capitol Connections, ELFA’s annual advocacy event in Washington, D.C. In addition, Cress has demonstrated his leadership through active roles on the Captive and Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee and the Women’s Council.

Cress also has been a long-time supporter of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation and has presented Campus to Career presentations at Miami University in Ohio and Michigan State University, introducing students to the equipment finance industry.

As the Vice President and General Manager of Stryker’s captive finance arm, Flex Financial, Cress is responsible for delivering financial solutions that make it easier for Stryker’s customers to reach their clinical and financial goals. Before joining Stryker in 2008, he was Senior Vice President and Vendor Business Unit Director for eight years at National City Commercial Capital. He also spent several years as a Vice President in Small Business Banking at US Bank.

Cress holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University.

2025 ELFA Board of Directors

The newly elected members of the ELFA Board of Directors include:

• Hollis Bufferd, CEO, Star Hill Financial LLC                            
• Neal Garnett, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Board Member, DLL                       
• Jon Gerson, President, Executive Solutions for Leasing and Finance, LLC
• Robert Moskovitz, CFO, Verdant Commercial Capital LLC
• William Perry, President, Regions Equipment Finance Corporation            
• Theresa Provencher, Managing Director, Syndication Manager, Bank of America Global Leasing                     
• Moorari Shah, Partner, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC
• Pasqual Slaughter, Vice President North America, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation             

The following individuals were elected by the membership to serve as ELFA Vice Chairs: Nathan Gibbons, CLFP, Chief Experience Officer, QuickFi, and Kirk Phillips, President and CEO, Wintrust Commercial Finance. Ed Rosen, ELFA’s Director of Governance, will serve as Secretary.

Rob Boyer, CLFP, President, First Commonwealth Equipment Finance, is Immediate Past Chair. Other members of the Board are:

• David Drury, Head of Commercial Specialty Lending, Fifth Third Bank, National Association
• Katie Emmel, COO, Solifi
• Brian Eschmann, CLFP, President, Northland Capital Equipment Finance
• Randy Haug, Executive Vice President, Vice Chairman & Co-Founder, LTi Technology Solutions
• Mathew Iacobucci, SVP - Head of Bank Markets, U.S. Bank
• Christopher Johnson, SVP & President, Pitney Bowes Global Financial Services
• Michael Jones, President, Equipment Finance, First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance
• Brad Peterson, CEO, Channel
• Jayma Sandquist, Chief Marketing Officer, SVP JDF US & CA, John Deere Financial
• Nick Small, VP, Finance Shared Services, Cisco Systems Capital Corporation
• Michelle Speranza, CLFP, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
• Stephen White, Executive Vice President, Stonebriar Commercial Finance