FROM THE PUBLISHER By Ralph Petta W A Critical Time ELCOME TO 2017! Here at ELFA headquarters, we’re excited to kick off the New Year and deliver on our value prop-osition to you. In this issue of Equipment Leasing & Finance , we look at what’s on the horizon for the year ahead to help you anticipate industry trends and position your company for success. Policy Outlook This is a critical time for the equipment finance industry. Now that the elections are over and a new administration is moving into Washington, your associ-ation is poised and ready to engage poli-cy makers on the Hill, in key regulatory agencies and in state capitals through-out the nation. We are already deep into analysis and modeling of the GOP tax reform blueprint released last year and will continue meeting with members of Congress and staff in the coming weeks to be sure the issues that are im-portant to our industry are addressed in upcoming tax reform deliberations. In addition, the incoming administration and more than a few on the Hill have indicated support for sweeping changes to the Dodd-Frank law. Be assured that we will be at the ta-ble as these important policy matters are debated—and we hope you’ll join us. Learn about how ELFA advocacy protects and preserves your business, and the importance of member in-volvement in advocacy, in our feature story “We’ve Got Your Back,” on p. 36. Find out how you can participate in Capitol Connections, our biggest ad-vocacy event of the year, on p. 39. Also in this issue: ● See what’s on the horizon for equip-● Get up to speed on asset manage-ment. Our first event of the year will be the Equipment Management Con-ference, Feb. 26-28 in Houston. Learn what your colleagues are saying about the state of asset management—and which segments to watch in 2017—in our feature story “Equipment Manage-ment Essentials,” on p. 22. ● Deliver the Guest Lecture Program to your local university. You’ll increase awareness of equipment finance and help attract new talent to the industry. Learn more on p. 4. ● Meet the Leadership: We are for-tunate to have engaged volunteers and a strong leadership team in place for 2017. Read about Chairman Tony Cracchiolo’s priorities for the coming year on p. 42 and see how our Busi-ness Council Steering Committees are ramping up on p. 10. Now that the elections are over and a new administration is moving into Washington, your association is poised and ready to engage policy makers on the Hill in key regulatory agencies and in state capitals throughout the nation. We have a lot to accomplish this year, and we can’t do it without you. As a member-driven organization, we rely on your participation. Please don’t hes-itate to contact us at ELFA headquar-ters if you have any questions or you’d like to get involved. ■ ment finance. What are the key fac-tors driving our industry in the year ahead? See the cover story, “State of the Industry 2017,” on p. 14 and check out ELFA’s Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2017 at www. equipmentfinanceadvantage.org/rsrcs/ articles/10Trends.cfm . ● Take advantage of professional de-velopment. Make sure you make the most of your ELFA membership ben-efits this year, including our top-notch educational and networking offerings. Review our 2017 Education Supple-ment on p. 27. Ralph Petta is the President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association and the publishing director of Equipment Leasing & Finance . To submit letters to the editor, email EL&F@elfaonline.org. EQUIPMENT LEASING & FINANCE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 3