The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) appointed Susan Sullivan Kinney as senior vice president of policy and government affairs. In this leadership role, Kinney will lead ELFA’s federal and state advocacy, oversee the association’s government relations strategy, and serve as the primary voice before Congress and federal agencies.
Kinney joins ELFA from the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), where she most recently served as senior vice president of congressional relations. During her tenure at ICBA, she built and leveraged strong bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill and led coalition-building efforts to advance legislative priorities.
Prior to her time at ICBA, Kinney spent nearly a decade at the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), where she held various federal and state advocacy roles and managed the association’s political action committee. This experience provided a foundational understanding of federal- and state-level issues that remain critical to the equipment finance industry. These collective experiences align closely with the work Kinney will lead at ELFA as the association continues to strengthen its advocacy and represent the interests of the broader equipment finance industry.
“Susan is an exceptional advocate with deep roots in Washington, DC, and I am excited to have her lead our government relations efforts,” Leigh Lytle, president and CEO of ELFA, said. “Because of her previous work at ICBA and her nearly decade-long tenure at AFSA, a regular partner of ours on lobbying issues, Susan understands our landscape and is prepared to hit the ground running on behalf of our members.”
Kinney said, “The equipment finance industry is a primary driver of capital investment, and I am excited to lead ELFA’s advocacy efforts at such a critical time. I look forward to leveraging my experience in financial services policy to advance our members’ priorities and to strengthen our relationships with policymakers at every level of government.”
