The Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation board of directors announced that 21 equipment finance professionals passed the 8-hour industry examination.

Sixteen of these individuals passed after attending the Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals in the Philadelphia area that was hosted by BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital.

The newest CLFPs are:

• Pam Brayley, CLFP – documentation supervisor, First National Capital
• Julie Dickerson, CLFP – assistant VP, quality control manager, BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Trish Gillis, CLFP – SVP/chief administrative officer, BB&T Equipment Finance
• Sean Laird, CLFP Associate – inside sales manager – Equipment Finance, Summit Funding Group
• Austin Law, CLFP Associate – assistant VP, OneWorld Business Finance
• Mike Lefkowitz, CLFP – credit manager, Marlin Equipment Finance
• Lauren Markoe, CLFP – senior business development manager, Marlin Equipment Finance
• Pete McCaffrey, CLFP – national sales manager, Marlin Equipment Finance
• Jim Moschos, CLFP – VP, Healthcare and Clean Technology, DLL Financial Services Canada
• Dee Nariz, CLFP – customer service representative, First National Capital
• Michael Rabinowitz, CLFP – SVP, Equipment Finance Senior Commercial Credit Underwriting Officer, BB&T Equipment Finance
• Keith Reilly, CLFP – VP, BB&T Equipment Finance
• Sade Robbins, CLFP – sales representative, Franchise, BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Samantha Whittemore, CLFP – sales operations manager, Blue Street Capital
• Ron Schaefer, CLFP – VP, senior credit officer – BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Matt Senseney, CLFP Associate – credit underwriting officer, BB&T Equipment Finance
• Kyle Spalding, CLFP – account executive/VP, BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Angelique Wargo, CLFP – senior quality control specialist, BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Annette Watkins-Harris, CLFP – VP/senior commercial credit officer, BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital
• Bernadette Zhyzneuski, CLFP – senior business development manager, Marlin Business Bank

Rob Boyer, CLFP, president at BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital, said, “At BB&T, we encourage our high potential associates to take the CLFP exam. This is a key element in our strategy to develop our growth-minded associates that display the desire to advance within our organization. The achievement of passing the CLFP exam indicates to us that these individuals possess a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s major subject matter areas and therefore an awareness of the segments of the business that exist beyond the myopic realm of their particular expertise. Our associates also found that attending the Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals provided them with a comprehensive review of the body of knowledge. They felt confident sitting for the exam the following day and successfully passed.”

The CLFP designation is the only certification for the equipment finance industry. There are currently 521 active Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates in the U.S., Canada and Australia.