The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation announced the 2024 officers of its board of trustees, including Zack Marsh, CLFP, senior vice president of accounting and analysis at AP Equipment Financing as chair; Miles Herman, president and CEO of LEAF Commercial Capital as vice chair; Peter Bullen, group head of Key Equipment Finance as secretary and treasurer; and Leigh Lytle, president and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association as president. Nancy Pistorio, CLFP, president of Madison Capital, is immediate past chair. The officer elections were held during the board’s annual meeting.

The ELLF also appointed new members to its board of trustees, including Jim DeFrank, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Isuzu Finance of America; Jeffrey Dicosola, sales manager of Great American Insurance Group; Martin Klotzman, director of marketing and operations at Ivory Consulting; and Brittany Ogden, attorney and partner at Quarles & Brady.

“The foundation’s 2024 board brings a wealth of leadership and industry experience to their roles as trustees,” Marsh said. “We are privileged to have such talent, commitment and expertise serving the foundation and its mission for the advancement of the equipment finance industry.”

In addition to its new members, the foundation’s board of trustees will welcome back the following trustees for 2024:

• Andrew Blacklock, Vice President of Strategy and Business Operations, Cisco Systems Capital
• Cindy Fleck, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Equipment Finance, Channel
• Valerie Gerard, Co-CEO, The Alta Group
• Shari Lipski, CLFP, Principal, ECS Financial Services
• Mark Loken, Vice President of Credit, Farm Credit Leasing
• David Normandin, CLFP, President and CEO, Wintrust Specialty Finance
• Ricardo E. Rios, CLFP, COO, Commercial Equipment Finance
• Nancy Robles, President, Eastern Funding
• William Tefft, Senior Vice President of Equipment Management, Banc of California
• Donna Yanuzzi, Senior Vice President and Director, 1st Equipment Finance (FNCB Bank)

Kelli Nienaber will continue to serve as executive director.

The ELFF also announced that Gerard was honored with the Steven R. LeBarron Award for Principled Research by the foundations’ research committee. A member of the foundation’s research committee and a foundation trustee since 2018, Gerard also serves on the editorial review board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing and the foundation’s nominating committee. She is being recognized for her work on content development for the foundation’s podcast, which is growing as a channel to share foundation content, including hosting study researchers as guests to share their expertise and insights. Gerard will take the lead as chair of the foundation’s research committee in 2024.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct the job titles of Miles Herman, Peter Bullen and William Tefft.