Leasing News - information, news, education and entertainment for the commercial bank, finance and leasing industry

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a press release, it was not written by Leasing News nor has the information been verified, but from the source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a byline. It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Deanna Milsap-Argyros was hired as Sales Coordinator, Ascentium Capitol, a division of Regions Bank, Kingwood, Texas. She is located in Riverton, Utah. Previously, she was Vice President, Documentation, Tetra Corporate Services (March, 2009 - July 2023); Vice President, Remarketing, Marquette Equipment Finance (August, 2005 - July, 2008); Vice President, HLC Capital, Inc. (February, 1995 - June, 2005); Vice President/Manager, Unicapital Corporation (September 1999 - January, 2001); DSR, Bell Atlantic Tricon (February, 1993 - November, 1994).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-milsap-argyros-b980523/

Richard Irwin, CFA, was hired as Chief Financial Officer,
Can Capital, Marietta, Georgia. He is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Previously, he was at Marlin Capital Solutions, starting January, 2016, Treasuer and Head of Capital Markets, promoted February 2022, SVP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. He joined CIT, November, 1997, Accounting and Finance Intern; promoted Senior Accountant, Corporate Accounting; promoted AVP, Treasury Risk Management (November, 2003, promoted November, 2008, Vice President Treasury Funding, promoted November, 2011 Vice President Corporate Development and M&A (18 years, 3 months CIT).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-irwin-cfa-834b89/details/experience/

Krystal Mitsiaris was hired as Vice President of Sales, Ascentium Capital, Kingwood, Texas. a division of Regions Bank. She is located in Greater Boston. Previously, she was Lending Solutions Manager, First Citizens Bank (February, 2023 - September, 2023). She joined Direct Capital, a Division of CIT Bank N.A., as Funding Manager, 2015, promoted September, 2017, Business Development Manager, promoted December, 2017, Capital Coordinator; promoted July, 2018, Lending Solutions Manager, promoted December, 2018, Client Services Manager, Promoted Lending Solutions Manager, (July, 2020 - February, 2023).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-mitsiaris-46b11a53/details/experience/

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Maximize Activities

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Top producing originators in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry plan their activities. Top producers go beyond just doing the "right activities." They drive results by maximizing the outcomes of every activity.

Before making a call, top producers know specifically why they are calling a vendor or end-user. They have a specific objective of making the call and a clear understanding of the result they desire to achieve at the completion of each call.

Before meeting with a vendor or end-user, top originators have a specific objective for the meeting and a clear understanding of the result they desire to achieve when they leave.

Before attending a trade show, top originators plan their show activities, meetings, and objectives. They have a clear understanding of the specific results they want to achieve by the close of the show.

Top producers measure the results of their activities and know what preparations and objectives produce the greatest results. They analyze their strengths and weaknesses and are constantly making the necessary adjustments to ensure that their activities are driving their desired results.

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

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Financial and Sales Training

These individuals act as a consultant in 75% or more of their main business, actually training staff or individuals of a leasing company. These are not schools or franchisors, which can be viewed by clicking here.

Adrian Miller

Open Advance

Wheeler Business Consulting, LLC

Several hold classes, and most will travel to their client's premise.

Many of the associations also have financial and sales training classes for their members and non-members with a higher fee: http://leasingnews.org/associations.htm

Second Column: YCS - Year Company Started | YELB - Years in equipment Leasing Business

Name City, State Contact Website Leasing Association	YCS YELB (see above for meaning)	Geographic Area	Specialty
Adrian Miller Port Washington, NY Adrian Miller amiller@adrianmiller.com 516-767-9288 www.adrianmiller.com www.adrianmiller.com/blog/	1989 31	International	Highly results-driven, informative and enjoyable sales skills training programs that will leave participants empowered for bottom-line success. AMST guarantees a positive return on training time and investment.
Open Advance San Ramon, California Steve Chriest www.openadvance.com/contact/ 925-263-2702 www.openadvance.com/	2000 38	International	Consultant. Training. Production. Your training can be branded, delivered in workshops, accessed via our OA Cloud app. or housed in your LMS. Our objective is to help people learn faster, retain knowledge longer and promote critical thinking skills.
Wheeler Business Consulting, LLC Fallstow, Maryland Scott Wheeler, CLP Scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 410-877-0428 www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com	2008 37	USA	Provide multiple educational products to individuals and companies engaged in the leasing/financing industry. Encourage & facilitate personal and corporate strategy building to promote efficiencies, increase productivity & future success.

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Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted

Compensation Alignment to Hire the Best Candidates
By Ken Lubin, ZRG Partners, Managing Director

When looking to fill a role within your organization, one of the most pivotal factors determining whether you can attract top-tier talent is the compensation package. But it's not just about throwing a high salary in the ring. True compensation alignment involves balancing various elements, such as salaries, benefits, growth opportunities, and cultural fit, to ensure that they resonate with your desired candidates. Let’s delve deeper into how businesses can craft compensation packages that not only attract but also retain the best candidates.

Understand the Market

Before deciding on a compensation figure, it's crucial to research what the current market rates are for the position in question.

Salary Surveys: These are comprehensive studies carried out annually or bi-annually to provide updated salary benchmarks. They can give insights into what competitors are offering, ensuring your offer is competitive.

Industry Publications: Industry-related magazines and websites often publish articles or studies that provide a general overview of compensation trends.

Beyond the Salary: Holistic Compensation

While salary is a significant component, it's not the only factor top-tier talent considers.

Benefits Package: This can include health insurance, dental and vision coverage, retirement contributions, and more. Tailoring benefits to cater to the needs of your desired candidates can make a huge difference.

Work-Life Balance: Flexible working hours, remote working opportunities, and vacation policies can also play a significant role in attracting candidates.

Professional Development: Offering courses, training sessions, or even budgets for external courses can be a huge draw for ambitious individuals.

Long-term Incentives

Think beyond immediate rewards. How can you make your top candidates stay?

Stock Options: Especially for startups, offering stock options can be a way to let employees share in the company's potential success.

Bonuses and Profit Sharing: This not only rewards performance but also promotes a sense of ownership and alignment with the company’s goals.

Cultural Compensation

Culture plays a pivotal role in retaining talent. A great cultural fit can often outweigh even a high salary offer from a competitor.

Work Environment: A conducive, inclusive, and positive work environment can act as a major draw.

Recognition: Regular acknowledgment and appreciation of employee achievements can be more motivating than one might think.

Transparency and Clarity

It's essential to be transparent about the compensation package, its breakdown, and potential growth.

Clear Growth Path: Candidates often look for potential career advancements. Clearly outline how their compensation might change with growth within the company.

Open Negotiations: Allow space for negotiations. Some candidates might prioritize certain components of a compensation package over others. Be flexible and open to discussions.

Compensation alignment isn't just about money. It's about creating a package that truly resonates with what top-tier candidates are looking for. By understanding the market, offering holistic benefits, thinking long-term, ensuring cultural fit, and being transparent, businesses can significantly enhance their appeal and secure the best talent in the market.

Ken Lubin, Managing Director
ZRG Partners, LLC
Americas I EMEA I Asia Pacific
C: 508-733-4789
https://www.linkedin.com/in/klubin

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Major Commercial Finance/Leasing Finance Conferences
2024 - Updated

March 5-7: Funder's Forum, Miami, Florida

March 25–28: NEFA Finance Summit, Huntington Beach, CA

April 16–18: AACFB Conference, Glendale, Arizona

April 16-18: ELFA National Funding Conference, Chicago, IL

May 5–7: Equipment Finance Connect, Nashville, Tenn.

Sept. 4-5: AACFB Commercial Financing Expo New Orleans, LA

Sept. 10-12: Auto Finance CEOs, San Antonio, Texas

Oct. 16–18: NVLA Conference, Clearwater Beach, Florida

Oct. 27-29: 63rd ELFA Annual Convention, Austin, TX

Nov. 11-14: NEFA Funding Symposium, Indianapolis, Indiana

To be listed, email: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

Black Labrador/Boxer
Mariatta, Georgia Adopt-a-Dog

Bailey
Male
DOB:01/2022
Age: Young Adult
Size: Medium
Hair Length: Short
Neutered
Microchpped
Up-to-Date Vaccinated

My name is Bailey, and my life has been a journey so far! When I first came to the HSCC, I was terrified and completely unsocialized. I didn’t know what toys were and had no idea how to play. I was so scared of everything!

The people at HSCC have worked hard to socialize me. They’ve slowly exposed me to new sounds, surroundings, and people, and I have come so far! I’m also learning all about playing, and I think I like it! I can still get nervous when exposed to unfamiliar things or circumstances, but I know that my humans will keep me safe. I look to them for approval when I’m learning about new things, and that makes learning fun! The rewards help too. 🙂

I’m a goofy boy, sleek and slim, with a snaggletooth and a swagger. I have lots of puppy energy and am super agile and enthusiastic. When I get the zoomies, I run and leap and twist in the air like an acrobat! When I was a puppy, someone must have carried me around a lot, because I still want to be carried despite being approximately 45 pounds now. I will happily climb into your lap and nibble on you like corn on the cob to show you how happy I am to be near you!

I seek a home with an experienced dog owner who is willing to go slow with my acclimation to a new home and people. I respond well to consistency and calm, assertive commands; I’ll need a person or family who will diligently continue my training. I’d do best in a home that can provide me with the playtime and activities I need. I’m a sweet boy who will continue to blossom with loving guidance!

f you think I would be a good fit for your home, please call 770-428-LOST (5678) to start your adoption inquiry!
https://humanecobb.com/pets/bailey/

Humane Society of Cobb County
148 S. Fairground St. SE
Marietta, GA 30060
Monday - Saturday 12pm by 5pm
By Appointment Only
Email: info@humanecobb.com
770-428-5878
https://humanecobb.com/

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Work From Home/Hybrid
Best Practices Conference
Laguna Beach, CA November 14-15

Two-day Deep Dive on WFH and Hybrid:

Plug into what others are doing with work from home and hybrid work, starting with hiring, sourcing, and onboarding, all the way through the entire employee lifecycle.

Michele Rowan, industry leader in WFH/Hybrid work and former VP of Performance Management for Hilton Worldwide leads and facilitates this session, along with four additional guest speakers who will be sharing their WFH/hybrid journeys.

Meeting Topics - Attendees set the Agenda:

Virtual sourcing, interviewing, assessing, hiring, onboarding
Hiring direct to home and in new markets
Re-engineering new hire training and recurrent learning
Best in class performance management of remote and hybrid teams
Coaching and QA best practices and technologies for a largely distributed environment
Creating an easily connected and highly social community
Flexible scheduling and fixed schedules - optimizing both
Optimizing recognition & reward, gamification
Security, surveillance, equipment and services provisioning

Format and Speakers:

In-person workshop, 2 days uninterrupted focus on remote/hybrid work
Prime Therapeutics, Comcast and Breeze Airways share their journeys
Intimate discussions, limited seating
Attendees drive the agenda - topics submitted in advance

Beachfront Hotel in Laguna, rates start at $219 per night

LEARN MORE and REGISTER HERE
https://www.wfhalliance.com/2023-workshops

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Exploring the 62nd Annual ELFA Convention: Future 360
By Shari Lipski, CLFP

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend and exhibit at the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) 62nd Annual Convention. This year the event was held in HOT Phoenix, Arizona with temperatures in the 90s upon arrival and luckily cooling off to the mid-70s for the closing event. With over 1,000 ELFA members and guests in attendance, this year's event proved to be a pivotal moment for the equipment leasing and finance industry closing out the convention season like no other.

As a Trustee for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation, I was fortunate to be invited to ELFA’s 40th Annual Chair Reception & Dinner. This year’s dress was ‘resort chic’ but in prior years this was known as the Black-Tie Dinner. The clothes may have changed but the people in the room have not. They are my decades long friends, some newcomers, and of course industry icons. This year ELFA Chairperson, Bob Neagle, President and CEO of Finova Capital, announced that William “Bill” Bosco, Jr. was inducted into the 2023 Equipment Finance Hall of Fame. Bill’s key role in advocating for a new lease-accounting standard, which began in 2006, earned him this esteemed recognition. Bill served as the Chair of ELFA's Financial Accounting Committee – a role he held for almost 30 years, 10 of them as Chair – and represented the organization on key accounting standard boards, playing a vital role in ensuring a sound lease accounting standard was established, ultimately benefiting the entire equipment finance industry. Bill’s efforts culminated in the release of favorable rule changes in 2016, preserving the benefits of equipment leasing and financing for U.S. businesses.

The conference began with almost 100 attendees participating in various charitable events from competition just short of injuring yourself bike riding, to a community gardening project at a local school, and build a doghouse for the local humane society. ELFA members were out in full force showing Phoenix what we’re made of and donated $13,000 to each non-profit because of the wonderful sponsors that made each event a reality. Thank you to everyone that participated!

Mel Vinson, CLFP, VP of Marketing & Development for the CLFP Foundation, shared her impressions: “It was a well-attended conference with attendees from across the country, and even some international participants. It was my first ELFA Annual conference and I was very impressed with participation, positive conversations and the successful networking I both saw and did myself. I noticed that there were many exciting milestones and achievements at this conference that were celebrated - from Ralph announcing his retirement, to companies celebrating anniversaries, promotions, and new hires, to new Board members, and, on a more personal note, 110 CLFPs in attendance! Overall, it was a positive experience. ai am grateful for the chance I had to attend and meet so many new people, while continuing building relationships with those I already knew.”

On Monday, Kelli Nienaber, Executive Director for the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation announced at the annual luncheon, the Foundation has taken in a record high in donations providing a research budget in 2024 to add even more industry specific reports and student scholarships than ever before. Kelli also detailed the fabulous work the Marketing and Branding Committee did this year creating the "Campus to Career Program" highlighting the new name and focus for the guest lectures that industry leaders give at colleges and universities nationwide introducing the next generation to our industry. A special thanks to Nick Fong, CLFP at AP Equipment Finance and Kristi Schon of Channel Partners Capital for all your hard work.

The keynote speaker at lunch was Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Arizona State University. ASU and ELFA/ELFF announced an exciting new equipment leasing class starting in the spring of 2024 at ASU. Modeled after current industry related ELFA materials, ASU will work with ELFA to create the building blocks educating students about the leasing industry, preparing them for a lifelong leasing career.

I invite you to visit the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation's website at www.LeaseFoundation.org where you will find industry research reports, more information on academic outreach, the scholarship program, along with many, many more resources all free because of the support and generosity of our corporate and personal donors, they make everything possible.

While you're there, please visit the giving page and consider giving back to the industry and becoming a part of the Foundation's efforts in 2024 to provide best in class research, education, and resources to the equipment leasing and finance industry.

On Tuesday, the keynote speaker was Tim Urban, a prominent internet writer known for his thought-provoking and insightful content. Tim is the creator and author behind the popular blog "Wait But Why." I was not familiar with Tim's work before the conference but I gotta tell ya, I am now a fan! Tim has a unique comedic style combining humor, in-depth research, and a knack for breaking down complex topics into easily understandable pieces. He covers a wide range of subjects, from science and technology to psychology and philosophy.

One of Tim's most notable contributions is his series of long-form articles on various topics, which are characterized by their detailed illustrations and the ability to engage readers in deep dives into complex subjects. His writing style often incorporates stick-figure drawings (yes - stick figures that he draws himself!) which helps simplify intricate concepts, making them accessible to a broad audience.

Tim’s work is not only entertaining but also educational, often encouraging readers to think critically about important issues and inspiring them to take action. I invite you to visit his blog "Wait But Why" and his TED talk "Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator" which holds the #3 spot of the '25 Most Viewed TED Talks of All Time'.

Convention-ing would not be a convention without sessions! Industry experts and thought leaders came together to delve into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Here, I recap some of the compelling session topics that were on the agenda:

In the “Sustainable Innovation: Driving Climate Finance in Today's Market” session, attendees learned about the record-breaking energy transition spending in 2022 and how the energy crisis and policy actions are accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies. The panel discussed profitable opportunities for companies to participate in the growing market for sustainable innovation and offered insights into real-world solutions across various sectors, emphasizing their approaches, risks, and opportunities. Additionally, the session provided an overview of ongoing research by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation on clean energy and climate finance.

“The Future Supply Chain Impacts on the U.S. Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry” session unveiled the results of a study on supply chain risks and geopolitical factors affecting the equipment leasing and finance industry. Attendees gained actionable information to mitigate risks in supply chains and learned how geopolitical factors, global security, and demography impact critical supply chain nodes offering insights into strategies for ‘de-risking’ supply chains.

Two sessions focused on the human aspect of leasing: “The Future is Human: Inclusion in the Age of AI” and “Optimizing Talent Acquisition: The Power of Fractional Hiring in Leadership”. In the first session, attendees engaged in a lively discussion about the importance of inclusion and diversity in an age increasingly influenced by AI. Encouraging participants to reflect on the ethical and social aspects of AI adoption and its impact on human-centric values and cultural beliefs. Om the latter session, attendees explored innovative approaches to talent acquisition, focusing on fractional hiring for leadership positions highlighting the benefits of fractional executives and associates for staff augmentation, providing a flexible workplace environment while optimizing morale and efficiency. The discussion also covered relevant strategies and changes in work dynamics, including work-from-home policies and onboarding best practices.

Conference sessions also included a few focused on A.I., the digital technology environment, and fraud. “Lending in the Digital Age: Enhanced Underwriting with Non-Traditional Data” empowered attendees on methods to discover how to incorporate non-traditional data sources, such as merchant payment data and blended commercial and consumer scores, into the underwriting process to create a comprehensive view of borrowers. The presentation emphasized the importance of enhancing the customer experience through more effective assessments and accessing real-time data to expedite lending decisions.

The Session “AI 1.0 - Practical Applications of AI and the Future of Equipment Finance” explored the practical applications of AI in equipment finance, learning about the latest developments and their implications for the industry. Covering the fundamentals of AI, equipment finance-specific challenges and opportunities, real-world examples of AI-powered tools in action, and the future potential of AI in equipment finance such as optimizing processes, driving innovation, and enhancing the customer experience.

Then “AI 2.0 - A Panoramic View of its Role in the Future of Equipment Finance”, provided a comprehensive perspective on the transformative role of AI in equipment finance. Using real-world examples and insights from other industries, participants learned the opportunities AI brings to customer experience, optimization, and innovation, along with the technological and legal challenges involved in AI adoption are limitless.

And “Intelligent Automation & Fraud Management: Cutting-Edge Strategies to Safeguard Your Business” delved into the rising rates of fraud in the digital age and the role of AI-enabled tools in both detecting and committing fraud. Attendees learned about the challenges in balancing fraud detection and prevention with seamless user experiences. The session presented strategies for enhancing fraud prevention, leveraging AI-powered applications, and addressing the legal and ethical considerations in fraud management.

Other sessions included Legal News CEOs Can Use, Customer Obsession: Insights, Data, and Best Practices for Lasting Partnerships, and Analyzing Market Volatility for Transportation and Large Equipment Financing. The “Leading Process and Technology Transformation for the Future” session recognized Oakmont Capital Services, the winner of the ELFA 2023 Operations & Technology Excellence Award and showcased their award-winning solution. Attendees heard about the importance of strong leadership in process and technology transformation, which is vital for positioning a company with the right processes and technology for the future.

Dave Gruber, Assistant Vice President - Product Management at Great American Insurance Group, reflected on the conference: “The ELFA’s 62nd Annual Conference was bittersweet as it was one of the best conferences I have attended in terms of location, meeting with partners, introductions to new people, seeing old friends, and the quality of sessions being offered. There was enough time for learning, laughs, and libations (or two). But this conference was also Ralph Petta’s last, and the emotional tribute video from his friends in the industry and his wife Lisa was very touching. Plus, Bob Rinaldi’s tribute was done in a way that only Bob can do it. The session on the Future Supply Chain Impacts on the US Equipment Leasing Industry was eye opening as the demographics of China are changing, the baby boomers are retiring, and globalized free trade is changing. Companies will need to start thinking twice about the equipment they are financing where manufactured as we could experience extreme issues from different countries soon. The session on Section 1071 led by Andy Fishburn was informative as well as a bit foreshadowing since the US District Court of Texas issued an injunction delaying implementation of this over-the-top bill hampering our industry.”

One of the final sessions of the conference had attendees thinking outside their comfort zone and entertained what our industry might look like if we all agreed with the fundamentals of a let’s say a level playing field. “Accelerating Innovation: The Transformative Role of Industry Standards in Equipment Finance” was a high-energy session focused on the potential of ‘industry standards’ to drive innovation and foster collaboration in equipment finance. We explored ways in which standards can accelerate innovation and liquidity while shaping the future of our industry. It definitely sparked a few side conversations having to consider transformative ideas, challenged some assumptions, and drove participants to be open to collective efforts within the industry to create positive change. Participants left with insights into the next steps to generate momentum around industry standards and what the next decade might look like incorporating AI and other cutting-edge technologies into our financial landscape.

After the session I had a chance to speak with a good friend, Adrian Hebig, CLFP, Chief Corporate Development Officer at Channel Partners Capital, who shared his thoughts: “The annual conference never ceases to amaze me! No matter the challenges and opportunities our industry faces, we always come together to think about what the future might hold and how can innovate and adapt together with great relationships and really smart people! Tim Urban’s futuristic comments and review was very thought provoking and insurers one thing: it’s go time!”

ELFA announced the Board of Directors for 2024, as did the Foundation, and we found out the name of the incoming President and CEO for ELFA, Leigh Lytle. This will mark the first time a woman has been CEO for ELFA and everyone looks forward to meeting her and making new memories and great things happen in the years to come. Congratulations Leigh!

Other notable appointments include ELFA 2023 Board Chairperson Robert Neagle, President and CEO of Finova Capital, passed the gavel to Robert Boyer, CLFP, President of First Commonwealth Equipment Finance for the 2024 calendar year, Dominic Liberatore, Deputy General Counsel at DLL, received the 2023 Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award, and Zack Marsh, CLFP, SVP at AP Equipment Financing proudly accepted the gavel from Nancy Pistorio, CLFP, President of Madison Capital as the 2024 Chair of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation.

The 62nd annual ELFA convention was truly a dynamic platform for professionals in the equipment leasing and finance sector to exchange ideas, explore emerging trends, and chart a course for the industry's future. With an array of thought-provoking sessions, attendees left the event equipped with valuable insights to tackle the evolving challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this ever-changing landscape. ELFA continues to be at the forefront of driving excellence and innovation in the equipment finance sector, and this year's convention was no exception. “ELFA annual was one for the books”, said Sarah Kelly, Director of Servicing at Dedicated Financial GBC.

“Amazing company, great food and of course relevant topics to today's market. I especially enjoyed the session where we talked about being triggered during different work situations and how our behaviors change based on that trigger.”

As I think back to the convention, while it always is a fantastic event, I cannot help feeling a little sad knowing that Ralph Petta will no longer be in my inbox larger than life in an ELFA video, the smiling face greeting everyone at each event come 2024, or the world-famous keyboardist of “THE Financial Statements”. Over three decades have passed with Ralph in some role at ELFA, the last eight as CEO leading the association and industry through the good times and bad but always with a smile and friendly hello. Ralph, I wish you all the very best in your retirement and I hope you and Lisa have a wonderful, happy, and healthy life. Cheers to you, my friend!

As you’ve read through my article, I hope I’ve inspired you to volunteer and join a committee to give back to our industry. If you haven’t volunteered for something you believe in, are passionate about, or just given back you don’t know what you are missing. I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to working with others in a common goal or passion, whether its dog related, having a voice for Women In Leasing, attending NEFA, CLFA, ELFA, or participating as an Advisor for LeasingNews, having something that makes me smile and laugh helps make the job a little less work.

Thank you, Kit, for the opportunity to share my thoughts and photos from the convention with our leasing industry friends. I extend my wishes to the entire Leasing News family and readership for a prosperous Q4 and a joyous holiday season. I look forward to reconnecting with everyone at industry events in 2024!

Sincerely,
Shari L. Lipski, CLFP
Leasing News, Vice-Chairperson and Advisor
Trustee, Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation
Principal, ECS Financial Services, Inc.
Woman In Leasing circa 1989

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    1620 - 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed a compact calling for a "body politick." 102 Pilgrims stepped ashore. They called themselves Saints and the others Strangers. One passenger died enroute and 2 were born during the passage. Their military commander was Miles Standish.
    1683 – The British colony of New York was divided into 12 counties.
    1765 - Defense of the American colonies in the French and Indian War (1754-63) and Pontiac's Rebellion (1763-64) were costly affairs for Great Britain, and Prime Minister George Grenville hoped to recover some of these costs by taxing the colonists. In 1764, the Sugar Act was enacted, putting a high duty on refined sugar. Although resented, the Sugar Act tax was hidden in the cost of import duties, and most colonists accepted it. The Stamp Act, however, was a direct tax on the colonists and led to an uproar in America over an issue that was to be a major cause of the Revolution: taxation without representation. Passed without debate by Parliament in March 1765, the Stamp Act was designed to force colonists to use special stamped paper in the printing of newspapers, pamphlets, almanacs, and playing cards, and to have a stamp embossed on all commercial and legal papers. The stamp itself displayed an image of a Tudor rose framed by the word "America" and the Latin phrase Honi soit qui mal y pense--"Shame to him who thinks evil of it." Outrage was immediate and this day the “Stamp Riot” broke out in New York City coincide ding with preparations for celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. Colonists executed and buried “Liberty” and then proceeded to break windows, burn an effigy of the governor, mock soldiers, and loot homes of officials. the riot was gradually quelled by fearful citizens. The Stamp Act was repealed by Parliament on March 17, but the next day passed the Declaratory Act stating that Parliament had the power to pass laws binding the colonies. Thus began a series of import duties, export duties, and other such taxes. Various Colonies such as Virginia, while protesting loyalty to the king, entered into an agreement not to import goods on which Parliament raised revenues, and after a certain date, to stop buying a long list of embargoed items
    1776 - Mission San Juan Capistrano, California was founded. The original collapsed during the 1812 earthquake. The swallows of Capistrano nest in the ruins of the old mission church, departing each year on Oct 23 and returning the following year on or near St. Joseph’s Day (Mar 19).
    1781 - The first bank charted by Congress was the Bank of North America in Philadelphia, PA. It began business on January 7, 1782, with a total capital of $400,000, of which the government subscribed $250,000. Thomas Willing was elected president and Tench Francis cashier. Later the bank entered the National Banking System.
    1784 - The General Assembly of Maryland awarded by special grant citizenship to the Marquis de Lafayette, Washington’s French ally in the Revolutionary War. It provided that “the Marquis de Lafayette and his heirs male forever, shall be, and they and each of them are hereby deemed, adjudged, and taken to be, natural born citizens of this state, and shall henceforth be entitled to all the immunities, rights and privileges of natural born citizens thereof.”
    1800 - Until this date, Philadelphia had served as the nation’s capital from 1790. President John Adams and his family moved into the newly-completed White House, as Washington, DC, became the new capital.
    1824 - The first presidential election in which the most popular president lost due to electoral votes. It was also the first election where electoral votes were used. Andrew Jackson received 153,544 popular and 99 electoral votes, John Quincy Adams received 108,740 popular and 84 electoral votes, and William Harris Crawford and Henry Clay received 42 and 37 electoral votes respectively. Since no candidate had a majority of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives was called down to exercise it constitutional responsibility to choose from the highest three. In the meantime, Crawford became ill and was practically eliminated, and Clay agreed to use his influence to have Adams elected, provided that Adams promised to appoint him secretary of state. The balloting in the House of Representatives was 13 states for Adams, seven for Jackson, and four for Crawford.
    1834 - First published reference to poker (as Mississippi riverboat game).
http://www.pokerpages.com/historypoker.htm
http://www.poker.uk.co/indexhistory.html
    1846 - The Donner Pass tragedy: 87 pioneers were trapped in the Sierra Nevada when 5 feet of snow with drifts to 30 to 40 feet blanketed the mountains; only 47 survived, many of whom resorted to cannibalism to do so.
    1848 - The first medical school for women opened at Boston, MA. Founded by Samuel Gregory, a pioneer in medical education for women, the Boston Female Medical School opened as the first medical school exclusively for women. The original enrollment was 12 students. In 1874, the school merged with the Boston University School of Medicine and formed one of the first coed medical schools in the world.
    1861 - A hurricane near Cape Hatteras, NC, battered a Union fleet of ships attacking Carolina ports and produced high tides and high winds in New York State and New England.
    1863 - Fortifications were built on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay by troops from a plan to defend the City and its harbors from attack by the Confederate navy and army.
http://www.militarymuseum.org/Ring.html
(Other true facts about the Civil War: US Gen Ulysses S. Grant was introduced to his wife, Julia Dent, by her cousin, CS Gen James Longstreet; US Gen Philip St. George Cooke was father-in-law of CS Gen James Ewell Brown 'Jeb' Stuart and father of CS Gen John Rogers Cooke.)
    1871 - Birthday of Stephen Crane (d. 1900), American author, “The Red Badge of Courage,” born at Newark, NJ. After the novel's success, the newspaper syndicate sent Crane to cover the West and Mexico. In 1897, he went to Cuba to write about the insurrection against Spain. On the way there, he stayed at a dingy hotel where he met Cora Howard Taylor, who became his lifelong companion. In 1897, his boat to Cuba sank, and he barely survived. His short story "The Open Boat" is based on his experiences in a lifeboat with the captain and cook. Crane later covered the war between Greece and Turkey, and settled in England, where he made friends with Joseph Conrad, H.G. Wells, and Henry James. Crane contracted tuberculosis in his late 20s. Cora Howard Taylor nursed him while he wrote furiously in an attempt to pay off his debts. He exhausted himself and exacerbated his condition. He died June 5, 1900, Badenweiller, Germany at the age of 28.
    1872 - Susan B. Anthony, her three sisters, and fifteen other Rochester women registered to vote after persuading the election inspectors that the Fourteenth Amendment gave them that right. Four days later, they cast their ballots and, on November 18, Anthony was arrested for illegal voting. She was tried the following June. The judge refused to allow SBA to testify in her own defense. She insisted on speaking anyway and when she refused to be quiet, he dismissed the jury, found her guilty, and fined her $100. She refused to pay hoping to appeal the case to a higher court but the judge allowed the case to languish instead, never prosecuting her for contempt.
    1873 - Joseph Farwell Glidden of De Kalb, IL, started commercial production of barbed wire. The barbs were cut from sheet metal and were inserted between two twisted wires. This invention supposedly not only enhanced the raising of cattle, but eventually ended the feuding between cowboys and farmers by the end of the
century.
    1880 – Grantland Rice (d. 1954) was born in Murfreesboro, TN. An early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose, his writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. He is best known for being the successor to Walter Camp in the selection of College Football All-America Teams beginning in 1925, and for being the writer who dubbed the great backfield of the 1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team the “Four Horsemen” of Notre Dame. A Bibilcal reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this famous account was published in the New York Herald Tribune on October 18, describing the Notre Dame vs. Army game played at the Polo Grounds in NYC:
    “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”
    1894 - Billboard Advertising, a trade publication dealing with all manner of billboard advertising and selling for a dime, begins publication. Within a few years, it will begin focusing on the entertainment shows advertised by billboards and, by the 1930s, Billboard, as it has come to be known, is covering radio and sales of the new medium, juke box records.
    1894 – Buffalo Bill, 15 of his Indians, and Annie Oakley were filmed by Thomas Edison in his Black Maria Studio in West Orange, New Jersey.
    1897 - The first Library of Congress opened its doors.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov01.html
    1901 – Sigma Phi Epsilon, the largest national male collegiate fraternity, is established at Richmond College, Richmond, VA.
    1910 - W.E.B. DuBois, activist, begins publication of the NAACP monthly magazine “Crisis.”
    1913 - In the first football game between two emerging gridiron powers, Notre Dame upset Army, 35-13, surprising the Cadets with an unprecedented barrage of forward passes. Quarterback Gus Dorais completed 14 of 17 passes for 243 yards. His frequent target was end Knute Rockne.
    1914 – Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack cleaned house after winning the AL pennant. He asked for waivers on Jack Coombs, Eddie Plank and Chief Bender. Coombs went to the Brooklyn Robins as Plank and Bender escape Mack's maneuvering by jumping to the Federal League. Philadelphia fans did not support the Athletics and the club lost $50,000.
    1918 - The worst rapid transit accident in US history occurred under the intersection of Malbone Street and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City, with at least 102 deaths.
    1921 - The American Birth Control League is founded by Margaret Sanger. Dissemination of birth control information was a jailable offense in the United States at the time although men in the army were given condoms bought with tax dollars as "disease preventers."
    1926 - Birthday of alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, Badin, NC.
http://www.blacksuccessfoundation.org/lou_donaldson.htm
http://www.members.tripod.com/~hardbop/loudon.html
    1927 - Birthday of pianist Consuela Moorehead (d. 2009), Tallahassee, FL. An African-American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, music theory professor, and the founder of the Springtree/Snow Hill Institute for the Performing Arts, she fought to establish an arts school in rural Alabama, Moribund Academy. She is sometimes known as Consuela Lee or Consuela Lee Morehead.
    1938 - In a special match race at Pimlico, Seabiscuit, ridden by George Wolff, defeated favored War Admiral before a crowd of 40,000. Seabiscuit captured the winner-take-all purse of $15,000.
    1939 - Birthday of pianist Roger Kellaway, Waban, MA.
    1940 - Stan Kenton records his first sides with eight-piece band, at a Hollywood music store (Reed Rapture, ‘Etude for Saxophones).
    1941 - American photographer Ansel Adams takes a picture of a moonrise over the town of Hernandez, NM that would become one of the most famous images in the history of photography.
    1942 - CASAMENTO, ANTHONY, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company D, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division. Place and date: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Entered service at: Brooklyn, New York. Date and place of birth: 16 November 1920, Brooklyn, New York. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands, in action against the enemy Japanese forces on 1 November 1942. Serving as a leader of a machine gun section, Corporal Casamento directed his unit to advance along a ridge near the Matanikau River where they engaged the enemy. He positioned his section to provide covering fire for two flanking units and to provide direct support for the main force of his company which was behind him. During the course of this engagement, all members of his section were either killed or severely wounded and he himself suffered multiple, grievous wounds. Nonetheless, Corporal Casamento continued to provide critical supporting fire for the attack and in defense of his position. Following the loss of all effective personnel, he set up, loaded, and manned his unit's machine gun. tenaciously holding the enemy forces at bay. Corporal Casamento single-handedly engaged and destroyed one machine gun emplacement to his front and took under fire the other emplacement on the flank. Despite the heat and ferocity of the engagement, he continued to man his weapon and repeatedly repulsed multiple assaults by the enemy forces, thereby protecting the flanks of the adjoining companies and holding his position until the arrival of his main attacking force. Corporal Casamento's courageous fighting spirit, heroic conduct, and unwavering dedication to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
    1942 - HANSON, ROBERT MURRAY, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 4 February 1920, Lucknow, India. Accredited to: Massachusetts. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Air Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty as fighter pilot attached to Marine Fighting Squadron 215 in action against enemy Japanese forces at Bougainville Island, 1 November 1943; and New Britain Island, 24 January 1944. Undeterred by fierce opposition and fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Hanson fought the Japanese boldly and with daring aggressiveness. On 1 November, while flying cover for our landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he dauntlessly attacked 6 enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying 1 Japanese plane during the action. Cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor on 24 January, 1st Lt. Hanson waged a lone and gallant battle against hostile interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers and, striking with devastating fury, brought down 4 Zeroes and probably a fifth. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack measures, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in this theater of war. His great personal valor and invincible fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1943 - OWENS, ROBERT ALLEN, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 13 September 1920, Greenville, S.C. Accredited to: South Carolina. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with a marine division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during extremely hazardous landing operations at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 1 November 1943. Forced to pass within disastrous range of a strongly protected, well-camouflaged Japanese 75-mm. regimental gun strategically located on the beach, our landing units were suffering heavy losses in casualties and boats while attempting to approach the beach, and the success of the operations was seriously threatened. Observing the ineffectiveness of marine rifle and grenade attacks against the incessant, devastating fire of the enemy weapon and aware of the urgent need for prompt action, Sgt. Owens unhesitatingly determined to charge the gun bunker from the front and, calling on 4 of his comrades to assist him, carefully placed them to cover the fire of the 2 adjacent hostile bunkers. Choosing a moment that provided a fair opportunity for passing these bunkers, he immediately charged into the mouth of the steadily firing cannon and entered the emplacement through the fire port, driving the gun crew out of the rear door and insuring their destruction before he himself was wounded. Indomitable and aggressive in the face of almost certain death, Sgt. Owens silenced a powerful gun which was of inestimable value to the Japanese defense and, by his brilliant initiative and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, contributed immeasurably to the success of the vital landing operations. His valiant conduct throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service.
    1943 - The U.S. Marines invaded Bougainville, the largest of the Solomon Islands. The attack, called Operation Goodtime, was part of a larger Allied plan (Operation Cartwheel) to wipe out Rabaul, the mammoth Japanese base on the eastern end of New Britain Island. Bougainville was 200 miles away from Rabaul, close enough to provide fighter escorts for Rabaul-bound bombers. When the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps, commanded by General Alexander A. Vandegrifft, landed on Bougainville's western coast, they faced heavy Japanese artillery. Resistance dwindled quickly, though, and by nightfall, about 14,000 Marines and 6,200 tons of supplies were ashore. The next night, after a day of wading through swamps, U.S. Marines faced Japanese counter-invaders from the then-vacant beachhead. The 475 Japanese soldiers were completely wiped out. Among the participants in Operation Goodtime was a young John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Lieutenant Kennedy commanded a PT boat sent in to rescue members of a Marine patrol trapped on a Bougainville riverbank. Lieutenant Orville Freeman, Kennedy's future Secretary of Agriculture, was also wounded.
    1944 - The whimsical tale about an invisible rabbit named "Harvey" opened in New York City. One year later, the play by Mary Chase won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Movie fans remember the classic film, starring Jimmy Stewart in one of his most famous roles.
    1944 - The first of some 9000 paper balloons, carrying bombs intended to be dropped over North American land, are released near Tokyo. Many land in Oregon and start fires but newspapers do not report the bombing and the Japanese are lead to believe the dropping of balloons was not effective.
    1945 - John H. Johnson publishes the first issue of Ebony Magazine.
    1945 - Stan Kenton with his future wife June Christy records “Shoo Fly Pie” and “Apple Pan Dowdy.”
    1947 - The famous racehorse, Man o’ War, died. His funeral was attended by over 2,500 people. Man o’ War was so famous that, while a stud in retirement, his guest book listed over 2,000,000 names!
    1947 - Eddy Arnold began a 21-week run at #1 on U.S. country music charts with "I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)." It was the biggest hit of Arnold’s illustrious career.
    1949 - Gillette buys the World Series television rights for $1.37 million, the money to be dedicated to the players' pension fund.
    1950 - Two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to assassinate President Harry S Truman at Blair House, Washington, DC (where the Trumans were living during a three-year renovation of the White House). One of the gunmen and one White House policemen were killed. Truman, who had avoided an attempt on his life from the right-wing Israeli Stern Gang a few years earlier, escaped unscathed. In the autumn of 1950, the White House was being renovated and President Truman and his family were living in the nearby Blair House on Pennsylvania Avenue. On the afternoon of November 1, Truman and his wife were upstairs when they heard a commotion on the front steps of the house. Alerted by the sound of gunshots, Bess Truman glanced out the window and exclaimed, "Harry, someone's shooting our policemen!” Indeed, the pair of would-be assassins, Massac Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo had strolled up to the front door of Blair House and opened fire. They never made it past the entry steps, however, due to the quick reaction of police officers and guards. Secret Service Agent Leslie Coffelt was mortally wounded in the ensuing melee but not before he managed to kill Torresola. Collazo later revealed to police just how poorly planned the assassination attempt was: the assailants were unsure if Truman would even be in the house when they launched their attack at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Torresola and Collazo were political activists and members of the extremist Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, a group fighting for full independence from the United States. The "Independistas," as they were commonly called, targeted Truman despite his support of greater Puerto Rican autonomy. Apparently unfazed by the attempt on his life, Truman kept his scheduled appointments for the day. "A President has to expect these things," he remarked dryly. Oscar Collazo was sentenced to death, but in an admirable act of forgiveness on July 24, 1952, Truman commuted the sentence to life imprisonment.
    1948 - Top Hits
“A Tree in the Meadow” - Margaret Whiting
“Buttons and Bows” - Dinah Shore
“Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue” - Gordon MacRae
“Just a Little Lovin’” (“Will Go a Long, Long Way”) - Eddy Arnold
    1954 - The November issue of Billboard magazine lists Elvis Presley at number 8 of the Most Promising New Hillbilly or Country Singers.
    1955 - Macon, GA R&B favorites, The Famous Flames, enter local radio station WIBB to record a demo of their first song, "Please, Please, Please." The primitive scorcher, featuring lead singer James Brown pleading into a single microphone while standing on a Coca-Cola carton, would be rejected by several record labels before finally being picked up by Federal Records in Cincinnati.
    1956 - Top Hits
“Love Me Tender” - Elvis Presley
“The Green Door” - Jim Lowe
“Blueberry Hill” - Fats Domino
“Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel” - Elvis Presley
    1957 - The Mackinac Straits Bridge, between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, opened to traffic. At the time, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge -- and is still in the top ten -- at five miles long, with a main span of 3,800 feet/1,158 meters.
    1959 - Tired of stopping hockey pucks with his face, Montreal Canadians goalie Jacques Plante, having received another wound, reemerged from the locker room with seven new stitches—and a plastic face mask he had made from fiberglass. Although Cliff Benedict had tried a leather mask back in the ‘20s, the idea didn’t catch on but after Plante wore his, goalies throughout the NHL began wearing protective plastic face shields. Plante is credited with inventing the hockey mask.
    1959 - The Spacemen's "The Clouds" enters the R&B chart at #24. Their only chart entry will make it to the top spot and remain on the R&B charts for 18 weeks.
    1962 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "He's a Rebel," The Crystals. The actual singers on the record aren't the Crystals, but a trio of backing singers known as the Blossoms.
    1963 - The Beatles begin their first headlining UK tour with two shows at the Odeon in Gloucestershire, England, earning 300 pounds a night. Opening acts include The Rhythm and Blues Quartet, The Vernons Girls, Frank Berry, The Brook Brothers, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, and The Kestrels. The set list: "I Saw Her Standing There," "From Me To You," "All My Loving," "You Really Got A Hold On Me," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Boys," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "Money," and "Twist And Shout." The full scream of Beatlemania makes it impossible to hear the music, but that doesn't stop girls from camping out for two days in advance for tickets.
    1963 - Bonanza TV star Lorne Greene records his hit "Ringo"
    1964 - Yet another British Invasion band makes its US television debut on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show: The Dave Clark Five, whose clean-cut image visibly relieves the host, who is still suffering from the Stones riot of a few days' earlier. After the band plays "Glad All Over," Ed goes out of his way to tag them as "nice, neat boys."
    1964 - Top Hits
“Baby Love” - The Supremes
“Last Kiss” - J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers
“Let It Be Me” - Betty Everett & Jerry Butler
“I Don’t Care” (“Just as Long as You Love Me”) - Buck Owens
    1964 - The Free Speech Movement was launched at the University of California at Berkeley. Mario Savio (1943-1996), UC Berkeley physics student, began the Free Speech Movement to fight prohibitions against students distributing political brochures and other materials such as civil rights. The incident began when police arrested Jack Weinberg for setting up an unauthorized table in Sproul Plaza. Students surrounded the police car in a standoff that lasted 32 hours. The crowd of protestors, growing to 3000, attempted to blocks police car carrying Weinberg away. The stand-off lasted 32 hours. This was the start of the protests that I covered for KFRC News, San Francisco. There was a hard core but most of the followers reacted as if it were a party to gather and meet girls.
    1966 - Santa Anna winds fanned fires and brought record November heat to parts of coastal California. November records included 86 degrees at San Francisco, 97 degrees at San Diego, and 101 degrees at LAX. Fires claimed the lives of at least sixteen firefighters
    1966 - On All Saints Day, the National Football League awarded a franchise to New Orleans. The team, nicknamed the Saints, began play in 1967 but did not finish a season at .500 until 1979.
    1966 - Three Elvis Presley albums are certified gold this day: his 1956 debut album, "Elvis Presley," "Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 2" and "Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 3."
    1966 – Sandy Koufax became the first three-time winner of the Cy Young Award in the final year before the award will be given to the best pitcher in each league. From the first Cy Young Award in 1956, awarded to the Dodgers’ Don Newcombe, the award was to the best pitcher in baseball.
    1968 - ROGERS, CHARLES CALVIN, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Fishhook, near Cambodian border, Republic of Vietnam, 1 November 1968. Entered service at: Institute, W Va. Born: 6 September 1929, Claremont, W Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Lt. Col. Rogers, Field Artillery, distinguished himself in action while serving as commanding officer, 1st Battalion, during the defense of a forward fire support base. In the early morning hours, the fire support base was subjected to a concentrated bombardment of heavy mortar, rocket and rocket propelled grenade fire. Simultaneously the position was struck by a human wave ground assault, led by sappers who breached the defensive barriers with bangalore torpedoes and penetrated the defensive perimeter. Lt. Col. Rogers with complete disregard for his safety moved through the hail of fragments from bursting enemy rounds to the embattled area. He aggressively rallied the dazed artillery crewmen to man their howitzers and he directed their fire on the assaulting enemy. Although knocked to the ground and wounded by an exploding round, Lt. Col. Rogers sprang to his feet and led a small counterattack force against an enemy element that had penetrated the howitzer positions. Although painfully wounded a second time during the assault, Lt. Col. Rogers pressed the attack killing several of the enemy and driving the remainder from the positions. Refusing medical treatment, Lt. Col. Rogers reestablished and reinforced the defensive positions. As a second human wave attack was launched against another sector of the perimeter, Lt. Col. Rogers directed artillery fire on the assaulting enemy and led a second counterattack against the charging forces. His valorous example rallied the beleaguered defenders to repulse and defeat the enemy onslaught. Lt. Col. Rogers moved from position to position through the heavy enemy fire, giving encouragement and direction to his men. At dawn the determined enemy launched a third assault against the fire base in an attempt to overrun the position. Lt. Col. Rogers moved to the threatened area and directed lethal fire on the enemy forces. Seeing a howitzer inoperative due to casualties, Lt. Col. Rogers joined the surviving members of the crew to return the howitzer to action. While directing the position defense, Lt. Col. Rogers was seriously wounded by fragments from a heavy mortar round which exploded on the parapet of the gun position. Although too severely wounded to physically lead the defenders, Lt. Col. Rogers continued to give encouragement and direction to his men in the defeating and repelling of the enemy attack. Lt. Col. Rogers' dauntless courage and heroism inspired the defenders of the fire support base to the heights of valor to defeat a determined and numerically superior enemy force. His relentless spirit of aggressiveness in action is in the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1969 - The forerunner of the Internet began when Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), a small consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, delivered an Interface Message Processor (IMP) to the University of California at Santa Barbara. IMP connected UCSB to UCLA, the Stanford Research Institute, and the University of Utah, forming the first links in the fledgling ARPANET, precursor to the Internet. ARPANET, conceived by the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), was designed to provide a communications network that did not depend on a single hub to transmit messages. ARPANET evolved into the Internet in the early 1970s, when Dr. Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn were commissioned by the federal government to extend the network for military, government, and academic use.
    1969 - "Abbey Road," by The Beatles, was #1 on U.S. album charts. Although "Let It Be" was the last Beatles album of new material to be released, "Abbey Road" was, in fact, the last album The Beatles recorded. The album, number one for eleven weeks, consisted of: "Come Together", "Something", "Maxwell’s Silver Hammer", "Oh! Darling", "Octopus’s Garden", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "Here Comes the Sun", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money". "Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "The End", "Her Majesty."
    1970 - ABBA, then known as the Festfolk Quartet, play their first-ever concert at a Gothenburg, Sweden restaurant.
    1971 - The first Eisenhower dollar coins were put into circulation by the U.S. Mint. The coins were minted from 1971 to 1978.
    1972 - Top Hits
“My Ding-A-Ling” - Chuck Berry
“Burning Love” - Elvis Presley
“Nights in White Satin” - The Moody Blues
“Funny Face” - Donna Fargo
    1974 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "You Haven't Done Nothin'," Stevie Wonder. The Jackson Five sing backup vocals on the song.
    1975 - Elton John’s "Island Girl" hit number one on the "Billboard Hot 100" chart. The song parked itself at the top of the hit heap for 3 weeks.
    1975 - Sony Corporation of Japan started selling in the United Sates a video cassette recorder for home use, the “Betamax.” It was built into a console that also contained a Sony color television set. The tape was contained in a plastic cassette to make it easy to handle. Sony had marketed the first open-reel video tape recorder for home use, the TCV-2010, beginning in 1966, which was designed to be used with a separate video recorder and separate microphone to record sound.
    1979 - Edward Bennett Williams buys the Baltimore Orioles for a reported $12.3 million from Jerold Hoffberger.
    1979 - Bob Dylan debuts the songs from his new album, a Christian polemic called “Slow Train Coming,” on the first night of his new tour in San Francisco, CA. A shocked audience boos the new material throughout the set.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Woman in Love” - Barbra Streisand
“He’s So Shy” - Pointer Sisters
“Real Love” - The Doobie Brothers
“Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard” (“Good Ol’ Boys”) - Waylon Jennings
    1982 – Major League owners vote not to renew Bowie Kuhn’s contract as commissioner. The AL owners vote in favor of Kuhn 11-3, and the NL owners, 7-5. But his 18 votes leave him 2 shy of the three-fourths majority required for reelection. Kuhn will remain on the job until a successor is found. He will eventually be replaced by Peter Ueberroth.
    1983 - IBM introduced its long-awaited home computer, the PC Jr., starting at $669. The PC Jr. was doomed to a short life: the company discontinued the model in March 1985. They had chosen another operating system including that to be purchased by Bill Gates to launch Microsoft Corporation.
    1984 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)," Billy Ocean. The song is first released as "European Queen" in the U.K.
    1985 - Microsoft released Windows 1.01 (on five 360kb, 5.25-inch floppy disks). It ran on MS-DOS v5.0 (called MS-DOS Executive in Windows).
    1985 - The birth of AOL: Q-Link, a proprietary online service for users of Commodore's Amiga computers, was launched. A newly-formed company called Quantum Computer Services, run by twenty-six-year-old Steve Case, created the service. Q-Link offered news, soap opera updates, games, and chat for $9.95 per month. Quantum later created an online system for Apple, called Applelink. When Apple abandoned the system in October 1989, Quantum decided to run the system itself under the name America Online.
    1986 - Boston’s "Third Stage" album hit the big time this day as it became the number one album in the U.S. Memorable (and not so memorable) tracks on the album: "Amanda", "We’re Ready", "The Launch", "Cool the Engines", "My Destination", "A New World", "To Be a Man", "I Think I Like It", "Can’tcha Say", "Still in Love" and "Hollyann."
    1987 - Dire Straits' CD "Brothers in Arms" passes the three million sales mark, becoming the UK's all-time best selling album.
    1987 - Tom Watson won the first Nabisco Championship (later named the Tour Championship) of Golf by two strokes over Chip Beck. Watson scooped up $384,000 in prize money -- the biggest payoff in golf to that day.
    1988 - Top Hits
“Groovy Kind of Love” - Phil Collins
“Kokomo” - The Beach Boys
“Wild, Wild West” - The Escape Club
“Gonna Take a Lot of River” - The Oak Ridge Boys
    1988 - Low pressure brought gales and locally heavy rain to the northeastern U.S. The rainfall total of 1.46 inches at Newark, NJ was a record for the date. New York City was soaked with more than two inches of rain.
    1993 - A series of storms dumps heavy snows over the Ohio Valley and the northeast. 10.3 inches fell at Mansfield, OH, the greatest so early in the season
    1994 - The Chicago Bulls retired Michael Jordan’s uniform (No. 23) and put it on display at the United Center.
    1998 - Steve Young and Jerry Rice connected for their 80th career touchdown. That TD broke an NFL record, previously held by the Miami duo of Dan Marino and Mark Clayton. The Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning-to-Marvin Harrison is the most prolific regular season QB-WR connection in NFL history. The duo connected on an NFL record 114 passes during their decade together.
    2001 - The first Major League game ever started in the month of November is a memorable one as the Yankees, for the second consecutive night, make a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and go on to victory in extra innings. Tonight's heroes are Scott Brosius, who hits a game-tying, two out, two-run homer to knot the game at 2-2, and Alfonso Soriano, who singles in Chuck Knoblauch in the 12th giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory and 3-2 lead in the Series over the Diamondbacks.
    2007 – Joe Torre, the winningest manager in postseason history left the New York Yankees for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won two NL West division titles with the Dodgers until resigning in 2010.
     2010 - The San Francisco Giants win their first World Championship since moving to California, defeating the Texas Rangers, 3 - 1, in Game 5 of the World Series.
    2011 – Four states and 1.5 million people in the eastern US remained without power after a Halloween nor’easter hit the area with an unusual early snowfall.
    2012 – Two weeks after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the area, half of New York City and millions of others in the northeastern US continued to suffer power outages, gas shortages and limited public transportation. The storm’s death toll reached 90.
    2013 – An $800 million lawsuit was filed by Fannie Mae against nine banks for manipulating the LIBOR benchmark interest rate. Among the defendants are Bank of America and Citibank. Timothy Lee, a capital markets expert at the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, said in a 3 November memo that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have lost more than $3 billion because of the manipulation. Citi received full immunity for one of the infringements in which it participated, thereby avoiding a fine of around €55 million, but was fined €70 million for other infringements. JP Morgan was fined $80 billion while Citi, Morgan and BofA remain under investigation.
    2015 – The Kansas City Royals win the 2015 World Series by defeating the New York Mets, 7 - 2, in Game 5. Trailing 2 - 0 in the top of the 9th, the Royals score twice against starter Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia to tie the game and explode for 5 runs in the 12th.
    2017 – The Houston Astros won their first World Series title, beating the LA Dodgers in Game 7. It was later revealed that the Astros were guilty of sign-stealing that aided the effort but other than suspensions and the dismissal of Manager AJ Finch, no further action was taken against the Astros.
    2019 – The Mets hired Carlos Beltran as their manager. He will never get to manage the team however, being forced to resign due to his role in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal that also cost Red Sox manager Alex Cora a one-year suspension for his part therein.

World Series Champions:
2010 – San Francisco Giants
2015 – Kansas City Royals
2017 – Houston Astros

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