Lia earned the CLFP designation in 2004 and has been an active participant in supporting the foundation’s growth and advocating for the designation ever since. She takes great pride in being part of such an amazing organization with such a hard-working board.

Todd Buzard is a Senior Vice President of Finance for First American Equipment Finance (FAEF), An RBC/City National Bank Company. Todd joined FAEF in 2002 and has over 18 years of experience in the leasing and finance industry.

Prior to joining FAEF, Todd worked in public accounting for Arthur Andersen, LLP. Todd also taught accounting, finance, and business courses at the college level for over 10 years in his spare time.

Since becoming a CLFP in 2014, Todd has been active in the CLFP Foundation. Todd is an active instructor in FAEF’s internal CLFP program. Additionally, Todd has traveled to many Academy for Lease & Finance Professional sessions in order to help prepare aspiring CLFP’s for the CLFP exam.

Todd earned a B.S. in Accounting from Utica College and a M.B.A. in Finance from St. Bonaventure University.

Todd, his wife Kimberly, and their two children reside in Henrietta, NY.

Mike McDonald, CLFP is the Treasury Director at CoreTech Leasing. In his current role, Mike oversees the finances of CoreTech. In this role, Mike monitors the day-to-day operations, including expenses and incoming cash flow, with a primary focus on developing a strong, long-term financial strategy. Prior to his current role, Mike has worked at a variety of institutions with roles in accounting, finance, pricing, sales, and credit.

Mike obtained his MBA with a concentration in Finance at Arizona State University and Bachelors of Science from Michigan State University. Mike and his wife Lauren reside in Mattawan, MI.

Candace achieves this for CoreTech by relentlessly pursuing what is best in the lease and finance industry with a singularity of focus that is unmatched. She leads with an infectious passion for learning, which is one reason it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows Candace that she has risen to the top in her field. Her proactive management style and strong work ethic set the standard for diligence at every organization she has led.

Candace has worked in every element of the lease life cycle; she knows first–hand the challenges and responsibilities that come with each position and is uniquely able to encourage creative solutions and outside–the–box thinking. This insight into each role within the organization enables her to bring empathy to build an empowered team that delivers unparalleled service and responsiveness to clients.

From the get-go, Candace deliberately set her sights on raising the bar on industry ethics and standards. She pursued her CLFP on her own and not only proudly accomplished this goal but has now been elected to the 2021 CLFP Board and has also been selected as one The Monitor’s Top 50 Women in Equipment Finance.

Candace takes tremendous pride in her CLFP certification and in upholding the standards of the lease and finance industry. Her focus has always been in playing the long game and never being satisfied with expedient answers or self-interested deals. Rather, Candace has cultivated a very strong sense of integrity, one which she has never betrayed.

She envisions herself as someone helping the industry to grow and evolve into a more digital future. In an industry that has been somewhat slow to adopt change, she looks to herself and her peers as being pivotal in driving the human-powered capabilities our digitized future will need.

Candace is an avid sailor, who enjoys trips to Catalina with her husband on their sloop, and she is also proud to have run her first marathon at the beginning of 2020. Her greatest source of pride, however, is her family and being a mom to her 14-year-old daughter, Jackie.

Jennifer (Jenny) Wood is currently the Senior Vice President of Client Services with Orion First Financial, LLC. Jenny “grew up” in the small commercial finance arena and wouldn’t have it any other way. Joining Orion First (from another Leasing Company) in its early stages has given her the opportunity to hold various rolls within the company including Portfolio Management, Taxes, Customer Service, Business Development and most recently her current position in Client Services. Jenny is responsible for identifying how to partner strategically with our clients and improve processes and procedures to increase productivity and profitability for both parties.

Jenny has been in the commercial finance space since 1998 and obtained her CLFP Certification in 2004. She is eager to reach out to the younger generation of the finance industry and really get them involved as they are our future.

Jenny resides in Tacoma, WA and in the Winter month you can always find her watching every football game possible, and in the Summer months practicing her dart game as she holds some high titles in the Pacific Northwest.

Craig earned his CLFP designation in 2019 and has been active in the CLFP Foundation including organizing and hosting several CLFP exams. Craig actively promotes the CLFP Foundation and its mission of exceptional standards of professional conduct and technical expertise. 

Craig earned his degree in Marketing (BSBA) from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.  Craig resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Asia, son Jack and daughter Dylan.

Nick began his finance career at US Leasing in San Francisco before moving to Trinity Capital Corporation where he was Vice President of Sales. Trinity was later acquired by Bank of the West. Nick became a Business Unit Manager tasked with expanding the Bank’s national vendor finance programs. Nick also managed the Bank of the West’ broker division supporting the 3rd Party segment of equipment finance originations. Nick joined Wintrust Specialty Finance in 2018 in his current role as business development manager.

Nick is a current member of the ELFA’s Small Ticket Business Steering Council and has been active in supporting industry related initiatives throughout his career. Nick obtained his CLFP in 2016. He resides in Marin County California with his wife and three grown children where he is an active mountain biker, hiker, and competitive sailor.

Mikki received a finance degree at Minnesota State University, Moorhead with a minor in communications. She earned her Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) designation in 2016. She received recognition in 2021 as a Monitor NextGen Leader. She is an advocate of the CLFP designation, believing it is a benefit to anyone in the industry regardless of their experience or specialty.

Mikki resides in Minnesota with her husband, Dustin, and three children. When she isn’t shuttling her children to their activities, she enjoys spending time outdoors and peaceful time at the lake.

Theresa is the founder of Kabot Commercial Leasing (KCL) and K2 Funding Group. The company operates two divisions: the third-party origination division which has been operating since 1996 and an in-house portfolio of equipment finance contracts that commenced in 2014. Theresa is active in the day-to-day originations of contracts that are brokered to banks and funding sources at KCL. She is also involved in the underwriting of the transactions booked at K2 Funding. She founded the company at the age of 27 and earned her CLFP designation in 1996.

Theresa is an active member of the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) and the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB). She currently serves on the CLFP Foundation Board of Directors and the 2021 Monitor Editorial Board. In 2019, Monitor magazine recognized her as one of the fifty most influential leaders in equipment finance. She is a past president of the CLFP Foundation, has served on the UAEL Board of Directors, volunteers on numerous committees with NEFA, AACFB as well as numerous industry associations in which her company specializes. Theresa has been an instructor for the Institute for Leasing Professionals, NEFA education videos and author for articles in Monitor magazine, NEFA Newsline, as well as AACFB Commercial Break.

In her spare time Theresa enjoys biking the numerous trails throughout Puget Sound, sketching in charcoal, yoga and playing with her Bernese Mountain Dog, Chewbacca. Theresa and her husband Frank have a ranch in the mountains of Colorado and look forward to retiring there one day.

Paul Knowlton is a National Program Manager with Huntington National Bank, formerly TCF Capital Solutions. His focus is on developing and delivering effective vendor programs with manufacturers and distributors of capital equipment with a current focus on automotive service collision and repair equipment.

Paul’s 30+ year career spans his partnership in an independent brokerage, the launching a small ticket division within a community bank and building a new asset type for a nation-wide finance company. His experience includes credit, underwriting, portfolio management, and extensive business development.

Paul has been a CLFP since 1995, served as President of UAEL, predecessor of NEFA and has served on the Small Ticket committee of the ELFA. He has provided mentoring and training in the industry throughout his career. Paul has volunteered on the Loan Committee of Working Solutions, a microfinance organization.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, and father of two grown daughters, Paul, with his wife live in Oakland, California. They enjoy traveling, biking, golf and their Peloton.

Eric started his career in financing in New England working with AT&T Capital. A few acquisitions later Eric made the move to Jacksonville, FL with CIT. He worked in a number of capacities over his time there, ultimately leaving in 2008 to join Gary Shivers and a small team to launch Navitas Credit Corp. With increasing responsibilities, he and the team grew the company into a leader in the industry.

Eric enjoys calling Jacksonville, FL home, along with his two sons, Kyle, and Alex. Kyle is following in his dad’s footsteps as he has a position with Navitas as well. Eric loves the outdoors, fishing, hunting, and visiting the beach. He received his CLFP in 2019 and is passionate about bringing others into the foundation. He regularly provides training and assistance to those looking to become certified.

Jill earned her Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), CLFP (Certified Lease Finance Professional), and CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) certifications, and is currently studying for her Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI) certification. Jill is currently attending a year-long Leadership Academy hosted by the Minnesota Bankers Association. Jill serves on a variety of internal committees at Stearns Bank and serves on the CLFP’s ALFP Committee.

Jill is a May 2000 graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in business administration.

Jill resides in Richmond, MN with her husband, twin daughters, son, two dogs, and a cat. Jill actively cheers on her kids at their Cross Country, softball, track, and dance. She is an avid runner, starting each day with a 5-mile run, and enjoys spending time at her cabin and volunteering at her church.

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 2012 and is currently Senior Vice President and Credit Executive for underwriting (large and small ticket), 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 (OCC), 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. He is actively engaged with the ELFA and has been a member of the Credit & Collections Management Conference Committee for many years, including serving as Chair of the Committee from 2016 – 2018. In his free time, Mic enjoys time with his family and dog, the outdoors, and is an avid skier and golfer. He is currently full-time remote and resides in the mountains of Colorado.

Katherine (Kathy) Nordendahl is Vice President Sales Third Party Relationship Manager at Dext Capital.  She focuses on building and maintaining relationships with 3rd party originators.  Previously she worked with Dedicated Funding, and Bank of the West for 19 years in the Equipment Leasing Division. Kathy earned her CLFP designation in May 2006.  Her career has been primarily in sales but over the year’s she has also assisted in credit, documentation, systems, and operations.  She believes that her CLFP designation provided the information she needed to be a strong contributor.   She is a member of the AACFB and NEFA organizations.  Kathy is married with 2 grown children.  Interests includes Mountain Biking, Scuba Diving, and hiking.    

Education
Mr. Verkinderen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwest Minnesota State University, in Marshall, MN. He has also completed The Executive Leadership Program at Babson College, Boston, MA. He has also completed the Certified Lease and Finance Professionals examination and has a CLFP designation.

Community and Industry Involvement
Mr. Verkinderen has served on the board of the Legacy Foundation and is a past President. He also has been an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finances Association (ELFA) and served on the Small Ticket and Bank Owned Business Councils and is a past chair. He currently serves on the ELFA Board of Directors. He has also been active with the local Toastmasters Club, Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation, Southwest Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Holy Redeemer School Foundation and Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Verkinderen and his wife Krista reside in Marshall, Minnesota along with their two children Hannah and Lily.

Reid Raykovich, CLFP, is the CEO at the Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation. Reid took over the Foundation in 2012 and has grown the membership by over 720%. In 2014, she was honored with the Foundation’s Cindy Spurdle Award of Excellence.

Reid began her career in the commercial equipment finance industry at Great American Insurance where she obtained her CLFP designation. She has also held various positions at McCommon Leasing, Irwin Commercial Finance and Financial Pacific Leasing where she was presented the “Above and Beyond Leadership” Award. She was also given the Leasing News Person of the Year Award in 2016, was named as one of the top 50 most powerful and influential women in the industry by Monitor magazine in 2019, and also named as the 2020 Pioneer Icon by Monitor.

Reid has authored and co-authored several articles regarding certification and continuing education and has spoken on various panels and presented at many industry conference sessions. In 2018, she traveled to Australia and spoke in three cities regarding the certification.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with minors in Classics and Business from the University of Washington where she graduated magna cum laude in two and a half years.

In her spare time, she loves crafting and making gifts for others. She has a daughter Milla and a loving cat Toonces who keep her on her toes.

Mel is a native of Portland, Oregon and a graduate of Oregon State University. She began her career in banking with U.S. Bank back in 2012 and found that this was a great path for her – there was so much to learn and so many avenues for growth in the industry. Mel started in consumer banking where her passion to help her customers better understand the ins and outs of finance yielded great success and built many positive relationships. This quickly blossomed into eagerness to help business customers succeed financially. Mel moved into the Equipment Finance division of U.S. Bank a few years later and found that Leasing and Finance was truly where she belonged.

After becoming CLFP certified, Mel was ready to give back and support future CLFPs obtain their certifications and immediately began volunteering to teach ALFP courses. Mel’s joy to help others and enthusiasm for education helped launch her into the new Director role with the CLFP foundation.

In her spare time, Mel loves hiking, exploring the Pacific Northwest, photography, and running races including the world’s largest relay, Hood to Coast.

Sandy is a native of the Pacific Northwest. Born and raised in the Seattle area, she has experienced several diversified positions within many companies. Prior to the CLFP Foundation, she worked at Vivien Maier and Associates for eleven years as the Executive Administrator. She began her career in the legal industry, working for attorneys on Mercer Island, WA. The majority of her experience has been as the Executive Assistant to company presidents, sales managers, and large corporations’ executives. She was employed for more than 10 years as the Lead Section Assistant in a Northwest engineering firm where she supported 35 engineers in the wastewater department and received the “Pathfinders Program of Excellence Award.

Phone: 206-535-6281   |   Email: sandy@clfpfoundation.org