The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) has selected Deborah Reuben, CLFP, President of Reuben Creative, to receive the 2018 Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the association and the equipment finance industry.

Reuben will be formally recognized during a ceremony at the 57th ELFA Annual Convention in Phoenix, AZ, in October.

Reuben has 23 years of experience innovating in the equipment finance industry. Currently she leads Reuben Creative, a strategic technology and process consultancy. Previously she held positions with Wells Fargo, TCF and Linedata/HCL. For the past two decades she has helped to educate the equipment finance industry about technology trends through creative experiences that spark new thinking. She has shared her expertise and forward-thinking insights through multiple leadership roles within ELFA.

Since 2007, Reuben has served as a member and guiding force on the association’s Operations & Technology Planning Committee. The committee provides guidance on the training needs of industry operations and systems management personnel, helps plan and develop the ELFA Operations & Technology Conference & Exhibition and is an information resource for ELFA members. Reuben chaired the Committee from 2016-2017, serving as a thought leader on industry technology issues. She also chaired the Operations & Technology Excellence Award subcommittee from 2009-2015, revamping the award program and raising its prestige.

Recently Reuben was named Chair of ELFA’s new Technology Innovation Work Group, which will monitor and analyze the impact of new technologies on the equipment finance industry and member businesses. In addition, as a founding member of the ELFA Women’s Council, Reuben was instrumental in planning the inaugural 2018 Women’s Leadership Forum.

Reuben is a frequent speaker and facilitator at ELFA events. She has been an active participant in the Operations & Technology Conference for almost 20 years, and a speaker at the event for the past 15 years. She also has presented on technology topics at the ELFA Annual Convention, where she served as the General Session Trends Desk moderator in 2017. In addition, she has participated in web seminars, including ELFA’s e-leasing web seminar in 2017.

Reuben also has lent her expertise to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. She facilitated the Foundation’s 2017 Industry Future Council, an annual meeting of industry executives exploring trends, challenges and opportunities in the equipment finance sector. She has contributed to multiple Foundation studies, including “State of the Equipment Finance Industry” and “Headwinds, Undercurrents, and Tailwinds: How Equipment Finance Companies Can Learn and Benefit from the Fintech Phenomenon.”

Outside of ELFA, Reuben has contributed to numerous organizations, including the National Equipment Finance Association, the Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation and the Commercial Equipment Marketplace Council. She is the author of The Certified Lease and Finance Professionals’ Handbook Sixth Edition.

 “Deb’s dedicated volunteer spirit and leadership, especially in the areas of technology and innovation, have had a tremendous impact on our membership and the equipment finance industry,” said ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta. “We are thrilled to present her with the Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions.”

“It is a humbling honor to be recognized in this way,” Reuben said. “Serving alongside so many brilliant people who have inspired me and stretched my thinking is a joy and privilege. It is energizing to work with industry leaders who desire to imagine the art of the possible and focus on what’s next. I am grateful for the memories, connections, relationships and doors of opportunity opened through each volunteer experience. Thank you to ELFA for making this possible and to all of the remarkable members of this organization who make collaboration and active participation a fantastic experience. I highly recommend getting involved in making awesome happen.”