New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Kari Differding was hired as Vice President, Vendor Finance Services, Sales Manager, Alliance Funding Group, She is located in Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, and will be working remotey. Previously, she was at Midland Equipment Finance, starting as Assistant Vice President of Sales, Account Management, January, 2020, promoted VP of Sales/Manufacturing & Industrial Division/Indirect Finance (February, 2023 - October, 2025); Account Manager, Midland States Bank (July, 2018 - January, 2023). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-differding-31049325/details/experience/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-differding-31049325/

John Gundersen announced he was retiring from Navitas Credit Credit after 43 years. He was hired as Director of National Accounts, Navitas Credit Corp. He is located in Atlanta, Georgia. He was Director of National Accounts, Navitas Credit Corp. (September, 2021 - December, 2025);  Program Manager, National Accounts, Marlin Capital Solutions (June, 2012 - August, 2021); He was at Tamco 8 years, 5 months starting January, 2007,Manager Inside Sales, Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gundersen-459a8a/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gundersen-459a8a/

Ericka Vargas Opelski was hired as Senior Account Manager, Alliance Funding Group, Tustin, California, working remote from Myrtle Beach, Florida. Previously, she was Account Manager, Midland Equipment Finance (February, 2019 - October, 2025): CBG LMO Documentation Review Analyst, Bank of the West (July, 2004 - February, 2019).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericka-vargas-opelski-3738b3174/

Ryan Porter, CLFP, was promoted AVO Credit at North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut, where he is also located. He joined NMEF April, 2019, Senior Credit Analyst & Manager of Date Entry, promoted Manager, Credit, December, 2024, promoted AVP-Credit January, 2026 - Present). Previously, he was Marketing Assistant, Prudential Financial (October, 2018 - April, 2019).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-porter624/

Evan Worley, CLFP, was promoted to VP of Credit at North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC,.He is located in Rochester, New Hampshire. He joined NMEF December, 2020, Credit Manager, promoted AVP, Credit (December, 2022 - January, 2026). Previously, he was at CIT six years, 7 months, serving last as AVP & Team Lead, Risk Management (March, 2019 - December, 2019). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-worley-clfp-7765a8191/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-worley-clfp-7765a8191/

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Funders Looking for Broker Business
to update or change: kitmenkin@leawsingnews.org

There is no advertising fee or charge for a listing. They are “free.” Leasing News makes no endorsement of any of the companies listed, except they have qualified to be on this specific list.

We encourage companies who are listed to contact us for any change or addition they would like to make. We encourage adding further information as an "attachment" or clarification of what they have to offer would be helpful to readers.

Please send company name, contact/email or telephone number as well as a URL to attach or description List.

Alphabetical list - click on company name to view more details

1st Enterprise Bank Leasing 360 Equipment Finance Balboa Capital Corp. Bankers Capital Baystone Government Finance/ KS StateBank Blue Bridge Financial Boston Financial & Equity Corp. BSB Leasing, Inc. Calfund, LLC Celtic Bank

C.H. Brown Company Clicklease Dakota Financial Dedicated Funding Dext Capital First Federal Leasing First Midwest Equipment Finance Co. Financial Pacific Leasing Forum Financial Services, Inc. Gonor Funding Global Financial & Leasing Services, LLC

International Financial Services Corporation Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC Navitas Credit Corp. NewLane Finance NFS Leasing, Inc North Mill Equipment Finance Quality Equipment Finance SLIM Capital, LLC Targeted Funding Co., LLC TEAM Funding Solutions TimePayment

Help Wanted Ad
    Ameris Bank Equipment Finance

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Credit and Risk Professionals,
Steps You Should Be Taking Now to Protect Your Career

Career Crossroads by Emily Fitzgerald

Q: I am a mid-level Credit Analyst, and my role may be at risk as automation and AI continue to expand in financial services. What are some immediate steps I can take to be proactive in my career path?

Being proactive and staying several steps ahead of any potential change is highly recommended. Your question is apt, as credit and risk functions are expected to be among the roles most affected in the near future. The World Economic Forum’s Jobs of Tomorrowwhitepaper notes “… that credit-related [functions] may have as much as 81% of their tasks automated …” This places credit/risk professionals among the most exposed groups. There is no need to panic, but you do need a plan.

Here are two practical steps you can begin right away.

1. Map your daily work into two distinct categories:

 “automatable” tasks, such as basic calculations and data gathering, and B. “career-proof” responsibilities, such as negotiating terms and applying sector or asset-class expertise. By tracking your daily tasks for a month, you can clearly see where your time is spent. Then begin intentionally shifting more of your focus toward the second category, strengthening the higher-judgment skills that are harder to automate. Make sure your contributions in these areas are visible to senior leadership and your colleagues.

2. Become AI-literate in credit, risk, and the areas that intersect with your work, such as documentation.

Learn the basics of how credit models and AI tools operate (e.g., what data they use and what their strengths and limitations are). Volunteer to assist with testing or piloting new tools, providing hands-on learning experiences, and demonstrating your ability to adapt.

By engaging in these initiatives, you position yourself as someone who can, for example, translate model outputs into real-world risk decisions within your company’s vertical markets (e.g., aviation, construction, healthcare). This evolution helps shift your role from “potentially replaceable” to “essential.”

Begin implementing these strategies now and continue up skilling throughout the year. Keep a brief daily journal to track your projects, contributions, and results. Document specific examples such as when you refined model outputs, identified emerging risks, or structured win-win transactions. These achievements will strengthen your future career documents and help position you as essential to your current and future employers.

For more steps or in-depth career guidance, feel free to contact me at emily@riirecruit.com

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E-Bike Laws Evolving Fast:
What Riders Need to Know in 2026
By Marshall Goldberg, Leasing News
Chief Legal Editor

Electric bicycles continue to boom in popularity across America, from commuters in San Francisco to delivery riders in Manhattan, but lawmakers are racing to catch up. With new safety concerns and debates about where e-bikes fit into traffic laws, 2025–2026 has brought several important legal updates. Here is a California and New York look at the most significant changes you should know as an e-bike rider (or enthusiast).

California: Greater Safety & Visibility Requirements (2026)

California has added new safety-focused e-bike regulations that took effect January 1, 2026 as part of a broader package of public safety and traffic laws. These changes respond to growing e-bike use, especially among younger riders, and aim to reduce injuries and improve visibility. Rear reflectors or lights are now required at all times. E-bikes must have a red reflector or red light visible from at least 500 feet even during daytime. Electric bicycles and their batteries must meet accredited laboratory safety tests, and sales or rentals of non-certified devices will be restricted beginning in 2028. The penalties for non-compliance are roughly $25 plus fees and can apply when a bike isn’t properly equipped, but riders (especially minors) may fulfill certain violations with CHP-approved online safety training. These laws reflect California’s goal of “modernizing” traffic safety rules to match the reality of electric micromobility and could expand in future years as e-bike popularity grows.

 
New York City: A Citywide 15 mph Speed Cap
 
While New York State has long allowed e-bikes under existing vehicle traffic laws (defining them under Class 1, 2, and 3 categories similar to many other states), New York City has taken a particularly proactive stance on rider safety. A citywide 15 mph speed limit on e-bikes and e-scooters went into effect on October 24, 2025, enforced by the NYPD and city Transportation Department.  City officials say the rule is meant to protect pedestrians and other street users from high-speed e-bike accidents in densely populated areas. There is a strong emphasis on education first, enforcement second, but riders may still be cited if they exceed the limit.   Police are testing ways to enforce the speed limit, but, in practice, many riders won’t have built-in speedometers, which may make compliance tricky at first. Additionally,  NYC requires that e-bikes and related batteries sold or rented within the city meet recognized lab-certified safety standards.

 
Bottom Line:
 
E-bike laws are catching up with the mobility revolution. From state-wide safety upgrades in California to strictly enforced speed limits in New York City, new rules are rolling out that affect riders, retailers, and cities alike. Staying informed and riding responsibly has never been more important.

 

Marshall Goldberg

Marshall Goldberg
Glass & Goldberg, A Law Corporation
22917 Burbank Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367-4203
(818) 474-1532 Direct
(818) 888-2220 Main
(818) 888-2229 Facsimile
mgoldberg@glassgoldberg.com
www.glassgoldberg.com

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9.3 Million Americans Report that
More Work Multiple Jobs to Make Ends Meet

Imagine getting home from your nine-to-five job to have dinner with your family, maybe read a bedtime story and put your kids to bed. But instead of winding down on the couch afterwards, you get ready and start your second workday. That’s the daily reality for millions of Americans, for whom one job is no longer enough to pay rent, put food on the table and cover other expenses.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.3 million Americans reported working multiple jobs in November 2025 – the highest number ever recorded since the BLS started tracking multiple jobholders in 1994. In relative terms, 5.7 percent of employed Americans worked more than one job last month, which is also the highest share in 25 years. Only in the mid-1990s, when the workforce was considerably smaller than it is today, was the share of multiple job holders higher, peaking at 6.5 percent in November 1996. But whereas in 1996, around two thirds of multiple jobholders were not college-educated and presumably worked in low-wage occupations, half of those working more than one job now do hold a college degree, indicating that even an advanced degree no longer guarantees a job that pays well enough to make ends meet.

There are several reasons behind this trend, the most important one being economic necessity: several years of elevated inflation have left a legacy of high prices while wages have barely kept up. Housing costs, for example, have risen 28 percent over the past five years, while wages have only increased 24 percent. That leaves many families financially strained, especially as the prices of other necessities, food in particular, have also outpaced wage growth.

Another reason for the rise in multiple jobholders is the changing labor market: for one, the rise of remote jobs has made it easier for many people to work a second job, possibly from home. Then there’s the availability of jobs in general: for large parts of the past few years, the number of job openings has vastly exceeded the number of job seekers, leaving workers willing to earn an extra paycheck with plenty of options. And finally, the gig economy has created new opportunities for people to complement their income, offering flexible work schedules and relative freedom. As our chart shows, most multiple jobholders have one full-time and one part-time job, while two full-time jobs is the rarest form of multiple employment.

By Felix Richter
Statista

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A World of Debt
Voronoi by Visual Capitalist

This graphic shows world debt by country in 2025, based on data from the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook.

Key Takeaways

Gross public debt stands at $111 trillion globally in 2025, rising by $8.3 trillion since 2024.
.
Together, the U.S. and China hold 51.8% of the world’s government debt.

 

News Briefs

More workers are stuck in part-time jobs
    in warning for the economy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/08/multiple-part-time-jobs-economy/

Trump administration freezes billions in social services  
    funding to five states
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/politics/funding-child-care-democratic-states

Video shows ICE agent in Minneapolis fired at driver
     as vehicle veered past him
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/01/08/video-ice-shooting-minneapolis/

Woman killed by ICE in Minneapolis was
    a mother of 3 and a poet
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/good-ice-who-is/

Senate votes to limit Trump on Venezuela
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/08/senate-votes-to-restrict-trump-on-venezuela-00716127

17 House Republicans vote with Democrats
   to extend Obamacare subsidies for 3 years
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-vote-obamacare-subsidies-extension-after-9-republicans/story?id=129026545

 

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Trump Moves to Ban Big Investors
    From Buying Single-Family Homes
https://www.wsj.com/economy/housing/trump-housing-large-investor-single-family-home-ban-13e06f61?st=wNBYAE&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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Sports Briefs---

Loss to Seattle could seal S.F.’s fate
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/san-francisco-chronicle-late-edition/20260107/2

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California News Briefs---

Waymo pauses robotaxi service in San Francisco after
   blackout chaos -  Musk says Tesla car service unaffected
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/21/waymo-robotaxi-san-francisco-blackout.html

L.A.’s hydrants ran dry during the fires.
   Residents are still demanding solutions
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-17/la-fires-water-system

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Gimme that Wine

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Steve Lohr on Legacy, Leadership and
  Long-Term Strategy at J. Lohr Vineyards
https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/article/311838

Things to Look Forward to in Sonoma County
https://sonomawinegrape.org/things-to-look-forward-to-in-sonoma-county/

 Constellation Brands Reports Third Quarter
    Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/312396