In 1993 I walked into the offices of Pawnee Leasing Corporation to apply for a credit processing position that was available. There were about 5 full-time employees at the time and little did I know on that fateful day that Pawnee was taxi-ing for take off on the leasing runway. While just having earned a degree in Finance from Colorado State University, I can recall the first time looking at a credit report…it brought back memories of that chemistry class I didn't do so well in. That discomfort would quickly fade as I'd look at a lot of credit reports in 1993. I'd do a lot of different things those first few years and Pawnee became my professional incubator permitting me to focus in Credit, Funding and Marketing functions. In 1994, I would attend the first industry conference for Pawnee and while we didn't exhibit, it would mark our clearance for take-off. We've been on a steady, even climb ever since.
In 2005, the Board of Directors provided me the great opportunity and equivalent responsibility to be President and COO of Pawnee Leasing. We now have 41 team members that we fondly refer to as "The Tribe". This Tribe, I will attest, is the best in our industry and it's humbling to have the opportunity to serve and lead this talented team. I'm also thankful to all of the personal and professional industry relationships I've been fortunate to make after these many years. Chances are that we've met at an industry conference or I've had the opportunity to visit you personally in your offices. If you're not active in one of the leasing associations you're missing out on a critical professional enhancement to your business. I've had the honor of serving as the Chairperson for the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers Annual Conference in 2004. I enjoy these opportunities to serve our industry, especially learning from my professional peers and volunteering in leasing conference panels. In some small way, these efforts are simply my recognition of what the leasing industry has provided myself and Pawnee Leasing. In 2006, I also had the exceptional professional experience of helping lead Pawnee Leasing through the Initial Public Offering of Chesswood Income Fund (www.chesswoodfund.com).
While I'm not thinking about Pawnee Leasing, I focus my energies on my wife of 15 years, Tracey and our three children James (8), Jonathan (6) and Joseph(2). As I heard someone say, "Children make a family" and raising three boys has been an indescribable journey. My departure to Colorado from my roots in New Jersey was caused by my love for outdoor activities including distance running, cycling and skiing. I especially enjoy competition and prior to joining Pawnee Leasing, I raced nationally in triathlons/ duathlons and in 1992 was even ranked 8th Pro male by Tri-Fed, the governing body for these multi-sports. I also have a fondness for travel, which may be the result of me being a first generation American whose parents came to our great country from the Netherlands after World War II. I'm looking forward to giving my children the opportunity to see as much of the world as I've been so fortunate to experience.
I hope this segment provides you some background on myself and helps you "know" with whom you are doing business with and ultimately enhances our business together. Be assured that while there may be new hands on Pawnee Leasing's controls, these hands understand where we have traveled and this navigational perspective will continue to chart our course as the most stable and leading funding source in the Start-Up and Less Traditional credit leasing markets. I look forward to personally speaking with you.
