ELFA - Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Equipping Business for Success

Credit & Collections Management Conference

June 03 - June 05, 2019
Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, St. Petersburg, FL

Credit & Collections Management Conference

June 03 - June 05, 2019
Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, St. Petersburg, FL

Credit & Collections Management Conference

June 03 - June 05, 2019

Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, St. Petersburg, FL



Innovation & Evolution: Digitizing for the Future


Conference Attire: Business Casual

Credit and Collections Management Conference & Exhibition addresses the new and emerging issues relevant to credit and collections professionals and emerging professionals in the equipment finance industry. The 2019 conference will include sessions on the economy, the equipment finance cycle, alternative financing, human capital issues, the legal and regulatory environment, data analytics, risk and bankruptcy, and other relevant topics. Additionally, the conference will provide ample opportunity to network with colleagues in the equipment finance industry.

Program Highlights

  • What’s Hot? What’s Not? What’s Next?
  • Credit & Collection Managers Effectiveness Survey Results and Discussion
  • Digital Transformation
  • Bank and Non-Bank Roundtable Discussions
  • Legal Update
  • Recession Readiness, Leading Indicators, Is it Really Coming?
  • Preventing Fraud in Equipment Leasing
  • And MUCH more!

Exhibitor & Sponsorship Opportunities

An exhibition is held in conjunction with this conference and many sponsorship opportunities are available. To receive more information about exhibiting or sponsoring, please contact Steve Wafalosky at 440-247-1060 or stevew@larichadv.com.


Registration Fees

Price Description Amount
Attendee (ELFA Member, 1st Person) $1225.00
Attendee - Non Member (All) $2450.00
Attendee Additional (ELFA Member) $1105.00
Committee - Member $610.00
Exhibitor Additional (Member) $1105.00
Exhibitor Additional (Non Member) $1105.00
First Time Attendee To The Conference $1050.00
First Time Exhibitor Attendee $500.00
Speaker - Non Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00
Speaker -Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00
Spouse/Companion of Member $250.00
Spouse/Companion of Non Member $250.00

View cancellation and other policies

Conference Schedule

Session descriptions and speakers are all located in the conference schedule.

 

Special Networking Events

Pre-Conference Meet & Greet
Sunday, June 2nd * 6:45 - 7:30 pm
Are you arriving Sunday evening and looking for something fun? Well, you’re not alone! Stop by Tangerine at the conference hotel to meet your fellow conference attendees, have a drink and maybe meet a few people to grab dinner with that evening. This is an informal event, but registration is requested through the online conference registration. This is a sponsored event. No additional fee to attend.

Women's Council Brunch
Monday, June 3rd * 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
A wonderful opportunity to network with individuals from across the leasing and finance industry who have an interest in furthering the success of talented women in the industry. No additional fee for conference registrants; however, we do ask that all participants register for this event through the online conference registration.

Tampa Bay Dinner Cruise
Monday, June 3rd * 6:30 - 9:00 pm
(pre-registration and additional fee required)
Welcome Aboard! Enjoy two hours aboard a yacht dinner cruise around Tampa Bay. The yacht is a multi-deck boat which will cruise Tampa Bay offering spectacular water views. Boarding time is at 6:30 pm, sailing from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. All passengers MUST board by 6:50pm. Departing directly across the street from the conference host hotel at Demons Landing, this is a perfect way to spend a St. Pete evening!

This event is NOT included in your conference registration fee and is $85 per person. The fee includes: a 2 hour cruise, a buffet dinner and an open beer and wine bar.$85 fee includes: a 2 hour cruise, dinner and bar service.

Exhibit Area
Monday, June 4 - Wednesday, June 5th * Refreshment Breaks, Breakfast and Receptions Held Here
The Exhibit Area is always a popular place to meet during the conference. Located centrally to the conference sessions, various financial service companies provide information and solutions to your daily professional struggles. Stop by and meet our fantastic exhibitors to see how they can help make your professional life a little easier. All refreshment breaks, breakfasts and most receptions will be held in this area.

Available Functions

  Bank Roundtable
 $0.00
  Tampa Bay Yacht Dinner Cruise
 $85.00
  New Comers Reception
  Non-Bank Roundtable
 $0.00
  Women’s Council Brunch
 $0.00

Speakers

Bob Beckett

Senior Director, Global Data & Insight
Dun & Bradstreet


Bryan Clark

Associate
Vedder Price P.C.


Bryan Clark is an Associate at Vedder Price and a member of the Litigation group in the firm’s Chicago office.
 
He has an extensive privacy and data privacy practice that includes privacy class action defense, mobile-marketing litigation, class action TCPA litigation, and data breach response.
 
Mr. Clark presents on issues related to digital privacy and data breach before a national audience.  He is a member of the Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois and has first-chair trial experience in federal court. As a litigator, Mr. Clark has been involved in a broad range of matters in addition to media and privacy, including topics as diverse as loan enforcement and foreclosure, consumer fraud, environmental, construction and insurance law.

Robert Cohen

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP


Robert S. Cohen is a Partner at Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, with offices located on Long Island and in New York City. With over 26 years of experience in all facets of the equipment leasing and asset based lending industries, Bob's practice is devoted to commercial litigation, creditors' rights, corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Bob has particular experience in the documentation of financial transactions, enforcement of equipment leases and secured loans, as well as the negotiation of workouts and resolutions. He frequently serves as a speaker and author on various topics relating to the leasing industry.

Bob devotes a significant portion of his time as an active member of ELFA, serving on its Credit and Collections Management Committee, as well as participating as a presenter at its various conferences, including its 2013 Legal Forum Conference, and 2012 and 2011 Credit and Collections Conferences where he served as a speaker at sessions on litigation strategy, electronic discovery, forbearance agreements, lease/secured transaction documentation and legal updates in the finance industry. He is also an active member of NEFA, serving on both its Legal and Education Committees and participating as a presenter at its annual conferences.

In 2012, Bob also presented at the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys' CLEW Conference. In addition to his professional endeavors, Bob is an active supporter of the Special Olympics of New York-Long Island Region, where he has served as a Chairman of its Annual Gold Coast Tour for Champions Golf Outing for the past eleven years.

Robert Fagan

Vice President of Customer Service & Collections
Eastern Funding LLC


Arlene Gelman

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.


Arlene N. Gelman is a Shareholder at Vedder Price in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Corporate Reorganization, Bankruptcy and Insolvency groups and currently serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Creditors' Rights and Collections group.

Ms. Gelman concentrates her practice in the representation of lenders, equipment lessors and other creditors in U.S. state, federal district, appellate and bankruptcy courts, including prosecuting numerous breach-of-contract and replevin actions, and representing the interests of secured and unsecured creditors in various state courts and in bankruptcy matters.

Ms. Gelman is a frequent and sought after speaker on equipment finance and bankruptcy related topics. She is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), Chicago Bar
Association, The Illinois State Bar
Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

In 2020 and 2022, Ms. Gelman was included on Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers. Since 2013, she has been selected by her peers as a Leading Lawyer in Bankruptcy & Workout: Commercial
and Creditor’s Rights/Commercial Collections. She has also received an "AV Preeminent" Peer Rating in Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Gelman was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in the 2023 edition for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency Law and Reorganization Law.

Ms. Gelman is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.A., with distinction, 1989) and Boston University School of Law (J.D., 1994), where she was an Edward F. Hennessey Scholar. Ms. Gelman also served as a staff attorney to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Ronald Barliant, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Eugene Wedoff, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Law Clerk to the Honorable Joan H. Lefkow, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ms. Gelman is currently a member of ELFA’s Legal Committee and is a past member of ELFA's Credit and Collections Committee.

Ms. Gelman's past ELFA speaking events include:

Speaking as a moderator at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2022 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Credit & Collections Management Conference

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2020 Webinar: Covid-19's Hidden Costs: Bankruptcy, Repossessions & Challenging Legislation

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2018 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2017 Equipment Management Conference and Exhibition on the topic of forbearance agreements

Daniel Goderis

Director, Portfolio Management
GreatAmerica Financial Services



Dan joined GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation in September of 2001 and during his tenure has provided portfolio management leadership in nearly every one of GreatAmerica's business units. In his current role, he is responsible for leading the portfolio management team of nearly 35 individuals across all business units. In addition to maintaining acceptable levels of delinquency and minimizing write-offs, he is charged with setting the strategic direction of the function and ensuring that GreatAmerica Financial Services has the right team members, training and tools to be successful in our changing markets. Before joining GreatAmerica, Dan held collection leadership positions with GE Capital Vendor Financial and was the General Manager of H & R Receivables Management.



Dan has been a member of the ELFA Credit and Collections Conference Committee for the past 11 years as well as a regular panel speaker at the conference.



Education: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.




Jennifer Gould

Shareholder


Jennifer D. Gould is a Shareholder at Stark & Stark, PC, a regional law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, where she is a member of the Bankruptcy & Creditor's Rights, Litigation, and Business & Corporate Groups. Jennifer represents financial institutions, equipment lessors, private equity firms, and other businesses in state, federal and bankruptcy courts nationwide. She also counsels clients in connection with commercial loan and lease documentation as well as general corporate legal issues. Jennifer is a long time member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and serves on ELFA's Legal Committee following six years on the Credit & Collection Management Conference Committee. Jennifer has published articles and lectured on a wide range of issues pertaining to the turnaround and equipment leasing industries. She resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband and son.

Dustin Jeffries

Director of Operational Risk


Dustin joined GreatAmerica in February of 2004.  From 2004 to 2007, he led the company’s Vendor Operations Group at a corporate level.  From that time, he became the Director of Operational Risk and led the company’s first State of the Portfolio which identifies and strategizes how to handle various forms of risk to GreatAmerica.  Dustin is currently in charge of the company’s credit scoring strategy and is leading the effort of streamlining the credit function through process improvements and technological enhancements.
 
Before joining GreatAmerica, Dustin served as the IT Director for Lamar Bank & Trust Company.  Prior to this, he was a Financial Portfolio Consultant for Accenture covering the utilities industry in the Eastern US, Central & South America.  Dustin has a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  

Nicholas Jones

Vice President, Credit & Risk Region North America
Volvo Financial Services


Nicholas Jones is Vice President of Credit and Operations for the Americas Region at Volvo Financial Services, the global finance arm of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine and industrial engines. Nicholas’ region encompasses the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Peru and he leads the functions that include portfolio management, risk analysis, credit, documentation, and funding, and booking processes in those diverse markets.

Nicholas joined Volvo Financial Service in 2005 and has held a range of senior management roles in credit, risk, operations and market optimization within the organization in Europe and North America. Prior to joining Volvo Financial Services, he worked in several independent and captive equipment finance and leasing organizations over his 20+ year career. Nicholas holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University, and resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with his wife and son.

Chris Jung

Director, Americas Credit & Risk Officer
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation


I have been at Cisco for 11 years, all in credit roles, beginning with Canada and then taking the North America role, followed by the Americas Trade Credit role, and now Americas Trade Credit and Latam Term Credit. Prior to Cisco I managed the credit department at Mitel Networks, which included a roughly $500M captive leasing portfolio. In this role I was also responsible for preparing quarterly reporting to the Mitel board of directors with regards to economic indicators, portfolio analysis, and trends. Prior to that role I was the controller for the Nevada, Utah, and Colorado branch locations, which included oversight for Accounting, Inventory Management, and branch P&L's. Previously I spent three years in Leasing Sales.

I received my bachelors with a dual major in Finance/Economics from the University of Nevada. And then my Masters in Science, Finance, also from the University of Nevada.

Rachel Kling

Lending Manager


Dominick Longo

SVP, Chief Credit Officer
Wintrust Specialty Finance


Louis Maslowe

Chief Risk Officer, Commercial Domain
DLL


Lou Maslowe, Chief Risk Officer – Commercial at DLL, is a results-oriented leader with more than 30 years of experience in the equipment finance and asset-based lending industries. Maslowe first joined DLL in 2005, where he held multiple senior risk management roles, with the last four years as Chief Risk Officer – Americas. In early 2017, Maslowe moved into the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Marlin Capital Solutions, a publicly traded specialty finance company. After five years with Marlin, Maslowe returned to DLL in the role he holds today. Prior to joining DLL, Maslowe held various senior risk and commercial roles with HP Financial Services, HSBC Business Loans,, ORIX Financial Services, and Westinghouse Credit Corporation.

Maslowe is an active ELFA member, currently serving as a committee member for the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation and the Climate Financing Working Group. From 2018-2022, Maslowe served as the Chair for the ELFA Credit & Collections Conference Planning Committee.

Maslowe earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from Bloomsburg University and went on to earn an MBA from Drexel University.

Chris Maudlin CLFP

SVP, Chief Operating Officer
Wintrust Specialty Finance


Chris Maudlin, CLFP is the Chief Credit Officer for Wintrust Specialty Finance, a Division of Beverly Bank & Trust Company, N.A. Prior to joining Wintrust, he was SVP Risk and Analytics for Hanmi Bank and VP Commercial Credit Manager for Banc of California. Chris has more than 15 years’ experience in commercial equipment finance serving in a variety of roles for both independent lessor’s as well as bank owned finance companies. Chris earned his Certified Lease & Finance Professional designation in 2013 and is actively involved in supporting the industry. Chris currently serves on the ELFA Credit & Collections Committee and speaks regularly at conferences around the country.

Scott McCann

Senior Credit Officer
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.


Scott McCann is a Senior Credit Officer with Pinnacle Financial Partners, covering Equipment Finance and Franchise Finance. Scott has served in senior underwriting and portfolio management roles for more than 20 years, primarily in the equipment finance industry. He previously worked as a bank regulator for 11 years, including as a National Bank Examiner for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Scott holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Augustana College, Rock Island, IL.

Eric McGriff

Chief Risk Officer
36th Street Capital


Eric has been in the Equipment Finance industry for 37 years and has served as a senior leader whose responsibilities have included credit, portfolio management, collections, asset management, operations, customer service, legal operations and statistical modeling. Eric is Chief Risk Officer at 36th Street Capital.

Patrick Moore

Director, Credit Strategy Consulting
Equifax


Patrick Moore has been at Equifax Commercial as Director: Credit Strategy Consulting since 2012, responsible for credit/risk strategy consulting to lenders based on peer benchmarking, credit score analyses, and Strategic Business Reviews.  He is also involved in industry-wide analysis and the creation and publishing of Equifax's commercial indices.  Prior to Equifax Commercial he had almost ten years’ experience in commercial lending with GE Capital, as a Credit Manager of a team at GE Commercial Distribution Finance, and as a Risk Analyst at GE Transportation Finance.  He has a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Michael Mount CLFP

SVP, Credit Executive
U.S. Bank


Michael A. “Mic” Mount has been in risk management roles in the equipment finance industry since 2001. He joined U.S. Bank Equipment Finance in Portland, OR in 2012 and is currently Senior Vice President and Credit Executive for mid/large ticket underwriting, portfolio review, and document negotiations.

Prior to transitioning to U.S. Bank, Mic was Senior Vice President and Credit Executive at another large regional financial institution, where his responsibilities included oversight of the credit underwriting process and credit teams located in offices in the U.S., Europe, and APAC.

Mic began his career as a national bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, then transitioned into a role as a consultant with a nation-wide bank accounting & consulting firm, and then as commercial lender at a Midwest-based regional bank.

Mr. Mount holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder and was awarded the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2002. He earned his CLFP designation in 2018. Mic previously served on the University of Colorado Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and as the Association’s Treasurer. In his free time, Mic enjoys time with his family and dog, the outdoors, and is an avid skier and golfer.

Joel Naroff Ph.D.

President and Founder
Naroff Economic Advisors


Joel L. Naroff is the President and founder of Naroff Economic Advisors, a strategic economic consulting firm. He advises companies from a wide range of industries on the risks and opportunities that economic developments may have on the organization's operating environment.
Joel is the author, with veteran reporter Ron Scherer, of Big Picture Economics: How to Navigate the New Global Economy, published in April 2014. The book, written for everyone, provides a roadmap for decoding the mysteries of a tumultuous economy. It helps people put the pieces together and form frameworks for future decision-making.
Joel works with firms across the country. He is an economic advisor to Beneficial Bank, Emerald Asset Management, Investors Bank, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors, Trefoil Properties and Spectrum Alliance. He consults with banks on asset/liability, economic growth and credit risk issues, corporations on economic risk as well as business and marketing opportunities. He is an economic and financial advisor to state and local governments. He has testified in front of Congress on economic and fiscal policy matters.
A nationally recognized economic forecasting expert, Joel has received numerous honors.  He was the named by Pulsenomics as the top forecaster, of 100 economists, in the 2015 Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey for his five-year housing price forecast. He was also ranked third in forecast consistency. In 2011, for the second time in five years, he received the National Association for Business Economics Outlook Award as the top economic forecaster. NABE is the premier professional association for business economists and those who use economics in the workplace. He also received the award in 2007. In 2008 he was awarded the Lawrence Klein Award for Blue Chip forecasting excellence. This is one of the oldest and most prestigious forecasting honors. It is named after the Nobel Laureate in Economics who received the award in 1980 for the creation of econometric models and the application to the analysis of economic fluctuation and economic policies. He was also named the Bloomberg Business News 2008 top economic forecaster. In 2006, Joel was MSNBC's top forecaster. He was the first independent economist to win the CBS MarketWatch Economist of the Month award.
Joel is often quoted in the national press, including Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Financial Times and Newsweek. Internationally, his materials are quoted by almost every national news agency. He appears frequently on CNBC, Fox Business News and Bloomberg Television. In addition, he has been on ABC’s The World News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The Wall Street Journal Report, BNN in Canada, and local television stations throughout the Northeast. Joel writes a column and a blog for the Philadelphia Inquirer, does business commentary for KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia and can be heard often on the national news radio networks.
 
An accomplished public speaker, Joel's humor and unique ability to make economics understandable have brought him a wide following. His presentations on national, international, regional and industry topics show how evolving economic trends can impact businesses, governments, educational institutions and not for profits.
 
From 1999 to 2009, Joel served on a consulting basis as Chief Economist for Commerce Bank/TD Bank. Before that he was Chief Economist at First Union Bank and First Fidelity Bancorp. Prior to moving into banking, Joel was a tenured professor in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
 
Joel received bachelors degrees in economics and chemistry from Stony Brook University and his Ph.D. in economics from Brown University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, teaches at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Pennsylvania Bankers Advanced School of Banking, is a past Chair of the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory Committee and is a past President of the Philadelphia Council of Business Economists.

Dana Pace

Senior Vice President, Director of Operations & Asset Resolution
PNC Equipment Finance


Dana M. Pace is the Director of Operations and Asset Management for PNC Equipment Finance, overseeing operations and equipment management. PNC’s combined leasing and equipment finance portfolio exceeds $18 billion in assets making the firm the 3rd largest bank leasing company in the country. She has more than 25 years of experience in collections, equipment valuation, remarketing, vendor finance operations and portfolio risk management. Her prior work experience includes her start with Information Leasing Corporation (ILC) and through mergers and acquisitions Provident Bank, National City Bank and National City Commercial Capital Corporation.

Currently, by managing both the front-end asset management valuations and the back-end asset management lease end loan operations teams. This allows her to see industry changes both from an equipment perspective and a client perspective, enabling them to stay nimble and react quickly when markets change. As real-time data is often the key to moving the finance and leasing business to the next level, Pace ensures data transparency throughout the transaction lifecycle is the norm for asset management.

Over the last decade as a member of the ELFA Credit & Collections Management Committee, Pace has contributed to conferences and coordinated ELFA Women’s Council events. Featured by the Monitor in 2019 as a top woman in Equipment Finance. She is member of ASA American Society of Appraisers and a PNC Certified Women’s Business Advocate.

Ms. Pace holds a bachelor’s degree out of the College of Education, University of Cincinnati.

Outside of work, Pace is actively involved in global wildlife conservation and fundraising for conservation reserves, as well as local zoo conservation research projects to protect endangered species and habitats. She resides in a suburb of Cincinnati with five dogs and is active in AKC breed and confirmation events.

Sarah Palmer

Head of Credit, AML and Commercial Finance
DLL


Sarah Palmer was named Senior Vice President of Credit Underwriting for Key Equipment Finance (KEF) in 2016, overseeing the underwriting activities for KEF’s Bank Channel and Specialty Finance originations. Palmer also oversees the portfolio management activities for the KEF portfolio. Most recently, Palmer began oversight of the Asset Management activities for KEF, including new business support for equipment leases and end of term remarketing events.

Previously, she served as Credit Executive for commercial credit risk across KEF, and Vice President of Credit Operations and Reporting, providing support for the KEF Credit team across all risk disciplines related to underwriting, financial analysis, project management, and data reporting. Palmer began at Key Equipment Finance in 2006 as a Credit Analyst.

Palmer serves on the Credit and Collections Planning Committee for ELFA, and is also a member of the Captive & Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee for ELFA.

Palmer earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Frank Peretore

Member of the Firm
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC


Frank Peretore has served as a trusted legal advisor and counselor to national and regional banks and finance companies ranging from closely held companies to Fortune 100 companies. Frank has over 30 years of experience in commercial lending and leasing with a concentration in equipment finance and leasing and other asset based lending. Frank's representation includes drafting master documentation for equipment leasing and asset based lending for direct and private label programs, TRAC, FMV and other true lease structures, leases intended as security, equipment finance agreements and vendor programs, as well as purchase/sale of one-off deals and full portfolios. Frank's representation has also included the enforcement of lessors' and secured creditors' rights in thousands of matters in the state, federal and bankruptcy courts.

As a long-standing leader in his field Frank has published highly-acclaimed books titled "Workouts and Enforcement for the Secured Creditor and Equipment Lessor," (Lexis/Nexis 2015 edition) and "Secured Transactions for the Practitioner, How to Properly Perfect Your Personal Property Lien and Assure Priority." In 2015, Frank was nominated by Leasing News as one of the 25 most influential attorneys in the U.S. in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry.

Prior to joining the firm, Frank was a founding member of the law firm of Peretore & Peretore, P.C.

Frank received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center where he was a member of the Dean's List. Frank received his B.S. in Economics from State University of New York College at Oneonta where he graduated with high honors.

Ralph Petta



Ralph Petta is the President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing 550+ member organizations in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Mr. Petta leads the organization in executing its mission to foster business development, deliver industry information and analysis, provide educational opportunities and advocate for the industry. He is also President of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring thoughtful innovation and contributing to the betterment of the equipment leasing and finance industry.

Mr. Petta, an authority in the business of equipment finance, has been with the association since 1987. Before assuming the role of President and CEO in January 2016, he served as Chief Operating Officer for six years, providing coordination, direction and oversight of ELFA programs and services designed to add value to the association's member organizations. Prior to that, he served as Interim President. From 1987 to 2010 he was Vice President-Research & Industry Services, managing ELFA's information, benchmarking and market research initiatives. Throughout his career at ELFA, Mr. Petta has assumed leadership roles in virtually all functional areas within the organization, including governance, membership marketing, communications, business and professional development, state advocacy and the association's affiliated Foundation.

He is often quoted in industry trade publications and is a frequent speaker about the role of equipment finance in the U.S. economy and trends and developments in the equipment finance sector.

Mr. Petta is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), as well as ASAE's Key Industry Association Committee (KIAC). He completed the ASAE/University of Maryland College of Business and Management executive development certificate program in association management. He also was selected for and participated in the ASAE Future Leaders Conference. Mr. Petta is a member of the Exchequer Club of Washington, DC.

Before joining ELFA, Mr. Petta worked for nine years in the office of United States Senator Sam Nunn, serving in a variety of professional capacities. He was Senator Nunn's legislative assistant when he left to join the association. Mr. Petta graduated from Syracuse University, earning a B.A. degree in political science.

Kevin Prykull CLFP

Adjunct Professor in Finance --Duquesne University


Kevin P. Prykull, CLFP
Retired SVP & Credit Underwriting Executive
PNC Equipment Finance, LLC (PNCEF)

Kevin P. Prykull is a seasoned equipment leasing and finance professional specializing in credit risk management. He has over 42 years of industry experience and worked for PNC Bank for more than 30 years until his recent retirement. At PNCEF he managed all credit underwriting, approval and portfolio functions for PNC Bank’s leasing and equipment financing subsidiaries. He was responsible for the credit and risk activities within the direct segments and specialty businesses like corporate aviation, municipal, alternative energy, structured finance, Canada, and vendor -- including the underwriting and approval of new transactions, portfolio management, and related credit administration matters. PNC’s combined leasing and equipment finance portfolio exceeds $18 billion in assets making the firm the 3rd largest bank leasing company in the country.

His prior work experience includes: an independent finance company (Senstar Capital Corporation), global lease consulting firm (Amenbal, Deane and Associates), a Fortune 500 manufacturer and captive lessor (Joy Manufacturing), and a local regional bank (Equibank). Much of his background is in risk, credit, equipment, leasing, teaching, and consulting.

Mr. Prykull holds an undergraduate degree in accounting (BSBA) from Duquesne University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Robert Morris University. Although he does not practice, Kevin has passed the Pennsylvania CPA exam.

Prykull is an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA). Since 2008, he has served in various roles as chair, member and leader on the association’s Credit and Collections (C&C) Planning Committee and Conference. In addition, Kevin is responsible for the Credit Manager Survey whose results are presented annually at the conference. He was the recipient of the ELFA Distinguished Service Award. The award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the association and to the equipment finance industry. Kevin is active on the ELFA’s Research Committee and is involved in the annual publication of the Summary of Equipment Finance Activity (SEFA). Kevin has been interviewed and quoted in numerous articles for the ELFA Leasing Today magazine and the Monitor.

Kevin has earned and maintains the Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) designation offered through the CLFP Foundation. Kevin is on the Executive Committee of the CLFP Board serving as the Immediate Past President. He chairs the Body of Knowledge and Recertification Committees. Further he functions as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all credit and risk matters. Kevin teaches at the Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP), including the newest “virtual” ones. Kevin is an Adjunct Professor in Finance at Duquesne University. A native of the Pittsburgh, PA area, Kevin resides in Peters Township with his wife Karen. He has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Kevin P. Prykull
506 Harvest View Drive
Venetia, PA 15367

(412) 337-0250
kevin.prykull@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/kevinprykull

Barry Ripes

SVP, Financial Services Leader
Equifax


Barry Ripes is Senior Vice President, Financial Services Leader at PayNet / Equifax Commercial. Barry leads the Financial Institutions, Commercial Finance, Capital Markets, and Fin Tec & Payments businesses.

Jennifer Rosenberg

Senior Vice President, Senior Credit Officer
Fifth Third Bank, National Association


Jennifer Poland Rosenberg is the Senior Credit Officer for MB Equipment Finance, overseeing credit and equipment management. She has more than 20 years of experience in risk management, financial analysis and business valuation.


From 2012 until the merger with MB, she was senior vice president, credit for Cole Taylor Equipment Finance. Prior to that, Rosenberg was senior manager with Tucker & Meltzer Valuation Advisors in Baltimore where she focused on corporate valuations of closely held businesses and private equity investments. She spent three years as a risk manager for GE Capital Corporation where she was responsible for underwriting and closings of commercial loans and leases. Rosenberg also held roles with LaSalle National Leasing Corporation, Morgan Stanley, and Ernst & Young LLP earlier in her career. She had earned and held both the CPA and ABV accreditations, both of which are no longer active.

She earned a B.A. in Business Accounting from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Jud Snyder

President
BMO Harris Bank


Jud Snyder is the President of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company and BMO's Senior Executive for Southeast Wisconsin.
 
Jud joined the Bank in 1994 and is responsible for leading the growth and development of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company. This includes strategic and managerial responsibility for sales, operations, underwriting and equipment management capabilities within the Equipment Finance Company.
 
Prior to taking on his current role, he had roles in credit, sales and sales management in Equipment Finance prior to taking on the President's role in 2008. In 2010, he moved into the bank as M&I's Head of Specialized Industries. In this role he was responsible for Equipment Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Dealer Finance, Agribusiness and Sponsor Finance. Following the BMO acquisition in 2011, he moved back into the head role at Equipment Finance with the mandate to leverage the business across BMO and grow the business to scale.
 
Jud obtained his BA in Russian and Economics from UW Madison ('94). He is currently the Chairman and an Officer of ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Ballet (Immediate Past Chair & President and Executive Committee Member), The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (Trustee), United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Teach for America and Froedtert Health Systems.
 
Jud lives in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin with his five children.

James St. Clair



With a notable career spanning over four decades in the financial services industry, Jim St. Clair stands as a seasoned Independent Consultant specializing in portfolio management, risk management, and commercial and consumer collections.

St. Clair’s professional experience includes 30 plus years in the equipment leasing and finance industry, including 15 plus years as Director of Outsourcing, at De Lage Landen F.S., where he demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing the company's 3rd party outsourcing partners, including collection agencies, repossession agents, and law firms. He also led a proficient team of Litigation Specialists, showcasing his expertise in special workouts, repossession, and bankruptcy.

Prior to De Lage Landen F. S., Jim spent 16 years at Bank of America Leasing where he held the position of VP Risk Operations. During his tenure, he managed a dedicated team of 40 professionals and oversaw a small to middle-market portfolio of delinquent, workout, litigation, and bankrupt contracts. His portfolio had a combined exposure exceeding $5 billion and encompassed 120,000 lease schedules.

Before his role at Bank of America, Jim honed his skills at the Michigan collection law firm of Douglas Shermetta. His responsibilities included enforcing consumer bankruptcy reaffirmations, post-judgment enforcement, payment negotiations, and collateral recovery, further solidifying his expertise in the field.

Jim has been a member of the ELFA Credit & Collections Management Committee since 2013, where he actively contributes to shaping industry best practices and standards.

With his vast experience and in-depth industry knowledge, Jim offers strategic consulting services tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of financial institutions.

Thomas Ware

President
Tom Ware Advisory Services, LLC


Now an independent analytics, risk, and credit scoring consultant, Tom Ware was for 18 years Senior Vice President of Analytics & Product Development at PayNet, which was acquired by Equifax in 2019. In that role he was responsible for the development of PayNet’s MasterScore and probability of default models, which have been used by hundreds of lenders to help decision millions of commercial loan and lease applications worth over $300 billion. He was also responsible for creating loss forecasting models, peer lender performance benchmarking and Strategic Business Reviews, and for developing a wide variety of research about commercial lending that appeared regularly at ELFA conferences as well as in the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, RMA Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Crain’s, Bloomberg, Reuters, AP, CNBC, ABC News, Congressional Testimony, and the published papers of two Federal Reserve Governors.

Prior to PayNet, Tom had 17 years’ experience as a lender with banks and finance companies, including as General Manager of a billion-dollar division of J.I. Case/CNH Capital, and as Chief Credit Officer & Senior Vice President, Operations of Rockford Industries, a NASDAQ-traded finance company that was acquired by American Express. Tom began working with commercial credit scoring in the mid-1990s, when he was responsible for bring scoring to a mid-sized bank, and within a few years developed scores that were auto-decisioning 40% of applications under $100,000. Previously he founded Sequa Credit Corporation, later acquired by Hypercom. Tom began his career with a Boston management consulting firm that became the New England office of Oliver Wyman.

Tom is Chairman of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Research Committee, and is a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee. He is a long-time member of the ELFA’s Credit & Collection’s Committee, and previously served on ELFA’s Small Ticket Business Council, and on the Board of Governors of RMA’s Washington D.C. & Maryland chapter. He is a frequent contributor to Equipment Leasing Today and the Monitor, where he published, as a three-part series of articles, “The 12 Secrets of Commercial Credit Scoring.” The ELFA selected him as the 2021 recipient of the Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award, for contributions to the Association and the industry. Tom graduated with Distinction in Mathematical Economics from Dartmouth College, and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Amy Wingate

Chief Credit Risk Officer
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation


Amy Wingate is the Chief Credit Risk Officer for Cisco Systems. Based in Las Vegas, NV, Amy has been with Cisco for twelve years. Prior to that Amy was VP of Credit for CitiCapital in the Industrial Equipment space and Director of Financial Services for GE Capital's Access Distribution Business. Working over 25 years in trade, loan and lease finance, Amy has extensive experience in managing credit portfolios. Amy has served on the Credit and Collections planning committee for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 conferences. Amy holds a BS in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Colorado and earned an MBA with a Finance Emphasis from Grand Canyon University.

Sponsors

Hotel Information

A block of rooms is being held for attendees of the 2019 Credit & Collections Management Conference at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront hotel, 333 1st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 at a discounted rate of $169 +tax. Check in time is 4:00 pm and check-out time is 11:00 am. Please call Reservations at 1 (800) 774-1500 or use the link below before the discounted room rate deadline of Sunday, May 12, 2019. Reservations made after May 12, 2019 are based on the hotel pricing and this group rate will no longer be offered.

Make hotel reservations online here: https://bit.ly/2JbCTm9

The Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront hotel puts you in the heart of the Waterfront District in downtown St. Petersburg near popular cultural attractions, shops, dining, entertainment experiences and sports venues.

Whether it's a relaxing dip in the outdoor pool or a snack to go from the 24-hour Corner Pantry, Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront hotel offers the services you need, the amenities you expect, and the extras you deserve.

Getting There

The Hilton St. Pete Bayfront is 22 miles from the Tampa International Airport (TPA). Approximate cost from the Tampa International Airport to Hilton St. Pete Bayfront is approximately $50.00 one-way with Super Shuttle and $55.00 one-way via Taxi.

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is another airport option in the area. Approximately 15 miles from the conference hotel a Supper Shuttle ride will cost about $35.00 one-way and Taxi will be about $30.00 one-way.

Parking
Self-parking is available at the hotel for $14.00 per day as a hotel guest. Valet parking is not offered. Non-hotel guests are allowed to park at the hotel, but availability is not guaranteed.

Things To Do:

Explore The Dali Museum located across the street from the Hilton St. Pete Bayfront with the world’s most comprehensive collection of Salvador Dali artwork. After viewing the work of Dali take a quick trip over to the Museum of Fine Arts which includes a vast collection of fine art and antiquities. For baseball fans, enjoy a game at Tropicana Field just blocks away from the hotel. And even football fans are just a 20 minute drive from Raymond James Stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Bucs. So much to do for everyone! Click here for a full list of information from the hotel.

Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront
3331st St S
St Petersburg, FL 33701

Get directions

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