The Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation announced that five individuals recently sat through and passed the eight-hour exam to earn CLFP designation.

The individuals who earned certification are Michael Green, managing partner at Dakota Financial; Jill Molitor, credit supervisor at Stearns Bank; Kayla Perlinger, senior syndication analyst at Stearns Bank; Joe Schluender, VP of credit and risk manager for Stearns Bank and Dirk Onink, team leader for the Commercial Finance Division of TEQLease, who earned CLFP Associate status.

“In my role at Stearns, I work closely with almost every department. Studying for the CLFP certification was a great opportunity to understand other departments more deeply and will provide me with an even stronger basis for collaboration going forward,” Schluender said. “It also provides me with the necessary background to effectively discuss various transactions and proposals with our partners.”

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers and peers in the equipment finance industry. There are currently 343 active CLFPs and associates throughout the world.