New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Michelle Bruno was promoted to Senior Vice President, Post Road Equipment Finance, LLC. She is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Previously, she was Vice President (January, 2025 – March, 2026); Business Development Manager, XS Financial, Inc. (January, 2022 – January, 2025); Client Service Leader,
Thermo Fisher Scientific (May, 2021 – January, 2022). She joined First American Equipment Finance (May, 2017 – May, 2018); Account Manager, Aston Carter (June, 2015 – May, 2017). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerbruno/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerbruno/

Derek Makishima was hired as Vice President, 36th Street Capital Partners, LLC., Morristown, New Jersey. He is located in Irvine, California. Previously, he was Commercial Equipment Finance, First National Capital Corporation (October, 2010 – February, 2026); Commercial Equipment Finance, Providence Capital Funding (August, 2016 – October, 2010).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-makishima-406133b1/

Alex Seebaugh, CLFP, was hired as Vice President of Portfolio Servicing, Elm Blue Equipment Finance, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He is located in Rochester, New Hampshire. Previously, he was Collections Manager, 360 Equipment Finance (December, 2023 – February, 2026); Equipment
Finance Collections Manager, First Citizens Bank (January, 2022 – November, 2023). He started at CIT, August, 2017, Collections Specialist I, promoted March, 2019, Collections Specialist III, Collection Manager (July, 2019 – January, 2022).  Full Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-seebaugh-clfp-453918a3/

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Saluting Leasing News
Board Advisor Don Myerson

Don Myerson
President
BSB Leasing, Inc.
7800 S. Elati St., Suite 201
Littleton, Colorado 80120
dmyerson@bsbleasing.com
800-945-3372 Ext. 336

Kit Menkin: Saluting one of the original Leasing News Advisory Board members, Don Myerson. Visiting his family at their house in Maui, Hawaii, where he took his young family scuba diving, including Dylan Myerson, now Vice President at BSB Leasing.

Don Myerson is the President and founder of BSB Leasing, Inc., and brings over 43 years of industry experience. BSB Leasing, Inc., headquartered in suburban Denver, Colorado, was started in 1982 as a sole proprietorship.

In 1995, BSB Leasing was selected by Colonial Pacific Leasing to become a service center for brokers in the Western United States under a program they developed named Pegasus. That year, BSB Leasing began working with lease brokers nationwide.

In 1998, after growing to 40 employees, with offices in Denver and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and reaching $75M in annual funding, BSB Leasing was sold to UniCapital Corporation, a public company in Miami. Don became a unit President reporting to Bruce Kropschot, then a Vice-Chairman of UniCapital.

After two years under the ownership of UniCapital, in 2000 Don re-acquired BSB Leasing along with his management team of Bruce Zwilinger and Ron Gonzales. Bruce Zwilinger has since retired, and Ron Gonzales continues in his role as CRO.

In addition to his role at BSB Leasing, Inc., Mr. Myerson was a Managing Member and co-founder of Mintaka Financial, LLC, a small-ticket funding company based in Gig Harbor, Washington, and a co-founder and Board Member for Orion First Financial, LLC, a loan and leasing servicing company providing underwriting, contract servicing, and collection services to banks and independent financial institutions.

Mintaka Financial, LLC was sold to a private equity firm in June 2021.

Don and his wife Dolly have four grown kids, with the oldest and youngest working at BSB Leasing. As of March 2026, they have three grandsons under three years old, with a fourth due in June.

His passions include family travel, camping, and hiking all over the world.

Help Wanted Ad
    Ameris Bank Equipment Finance

Financial Analysis: The Non‑Negotiable Foundation
of a Successful Originator
By Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Successful originators in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry fully understand the fundamentals of financial analysis.

The best originators are strong credit professionals, and the best credit professionals understand sales. In our industry, success is always a team sport.

I have written often about the necessity for originators to move beyond an application‑only mentality. True professionals understand the basics of making a prudent credit decision. The ability to analyze financial statements and ask meaningful questions of a CFO or accountant is often the dividing line between an average originator and a top performer.

The greatest frustrations originators experience usually stem from a lack of credit understanding. When an originator cannot identify the financial strengths and weaknesses of an applicant, they struggle to set proper expectations, structure transactions effectively, or communicate intelligently with credit partners. Application‑only programs are valuable tools, but their expansion has unintentionally produced a generation of originators with limited financial analysis skills.

The originators who consistently outperform their peers are the ones who embrace both sides of the business. They leverage application‑only transactions when appropriate, but they also possess the confidence and capability to analyze financial statements, structure full‑disclosure transactions, and communicate credit rationale with clarity and precision.

In a competitive market, credit competence is no longer optional. It is a differentiator. It is a value‑add. And for originators committed to long‑term, sustainable success, it is a skill set that cannot be outsourced or ignored.

At a minimum, every originator must be able to analyze financial statements and determine the fundamentals that drive a prudent credit decision:

• Leverage
  
• Cash flow
  
• Liquidity
  
• Debt coverage
  
• Financial trends, including ROA and ROE

These are not advanced concepts reserved for credit officers. They are the baseline competencies required for any originator who wants to build credibility, structure stronger transactions, and serve clients responsibly.

Unfortunately, too many originators in the industry cannot clearly define these terms, let alone apply them in real‑world credit discussions. This skills gap has widened as application‑only programs have grown, creating a generation of originators who can submit deals but cannot explain them.

This trend must be reversed if the industry is going to remain healthy and sustainable. Financial analysis education is not optional; it is essential. Originators who invest in these skills elevate their value, improve their approval ratios, and position themselves as true partners to both credit teams and clients.

The future belongs to originators who understand the numbers, communicate with confidence, and bring real insight to every transaction.

Wheeler Business Consulting is working with individual originators and sales teams throughout the industry to ensure that they are well positioned in the market, capturing their fair share of business, and outperforming the competition. To schedule a one‑on‑one meeting, contact Scott Wheeler at: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

Financial and Sales Training
(For our "Lease School/Franchisors" list, please click here)

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

These are not schools or franchisors which can be viewed by click below:
http://leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/School-Franchisors.htm

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

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Most Influential Lawyers
in Equipment Finance and Leasing

Andrew Alper
Julie Babcock
Bill Carey
Richard Contino
Jonathan Fleisher
Marshall Goldberg
David G. Mayer
Allan J. Mogol
Frank Peretore
John G. Sinodis
Mark Stout
Kevin Trabaris
Allan Umans
Mark Wada
Irwin Wittlin

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Commercial Chapter 11s Increased 67% Y/Y in February

NEW YORK/ALEXANDRIA – March 4, 2026 — Small business filings, captured as subchapter V elections within chapter 11, increased 91 percent in February 2026 to 314, up from 164 the previous year, according to data provided by Epiq AACER, the leading provider of U.S. bankruptcy filing data. Commercial chapter 11 bankruptcy filings increased 67 percent in February 2026, with the 814 filings increasing from the 487 filings in February 2025. February’s commercial chapter 11 total reflected a large number of related filings tied to a few sizeable commercial chapter 11 proceedings. Total February commercial filings increased 21 percent to 2,666 from the 2,200 commercial filings in February 2025.

“The significant increases in Subchapter V elections reflects the reality that many small businesses are operating in a challenging environment with higher borrowing costs, softening consumer demand, and tighter lending standards,” said Michael Hunter, Vice President of Epiq AACER. “At the same time, households are managing rising credit card and auto delinquencies, increasing foreclosure starts, and higher mortgage delinquency rates—particularly within the FHA/GNMA segment.”

“Layer in ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, return of pre-pandemic normalized filer volumes, and the expiration of Covid era forbearance plans and stimulus, it’s clear why both small‑business restructurings and individual filings continue to move higher compared to last year.”

Total bankruptcy filings were 45,891 in February 2026, a 14 percent increase from the February 2025 total of 40,304. Individual bankruptcy filings increased 13 percent in February to 43,225, up from the February 2025 individual filing total of 38,104. There were 26,677 individual chapter 7 filings in February 2026, a 17 percent increase over the 22,891 filings recorded in February 2025. Individual chapter 13 filings in February 2026 were 16,437, a 9 percent increase from the 15,132 filings last February.

“Subchapter V filings have grown for eight consecutive months amid inflation, high interest rates, tightening credit and geopolitical headwinds,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “The streamlined process of subchapter V provides struggling small businesses with the opportunity to restructure and preserve jobs in a challenging economy.”
Even with one fewer business day and storm‑related shutdowns in the Northeast, many February bankruptcy categories still equaled or exceeded January’s totals. The large number of subchapter V elections within chapter 11 represented a 23 percent increase over January’s 255 filings. Conversely, overall commercial filings decreased 7 percent from the previous month’s total of 2,856, and total chapter 11s dropped 15 percent from January’s 957 total, which had been due in large part to more related-case chapter 11 filings in January. Total bankruptcies registered a small increase of 0.2 percent when compared to the January 2025 filing total of 45,815, and individual bankruptcies increased 1 percent from the 42,959 filings the previous month. Individual chapter 7 filings increased 3 percent from January’s total of 25,803, while chapter 13 filings fell 4 percent from the 17,045 filings recorded the previous month.

About Epiq
Epiq, a technology and services leader, takes on large-scale and complex tasks for corporations, law firms, and the courts by integrating people, process, technology, and data intelligence. Clients rely on Epiq to streamline legal, compliance, and settlement administration workflows to drive efficiency, minimize risk, and improve cost savings. With a presence in 17 countries, our values define who we are and how we partner with clients and communities. Learn how Epiq and its 4000 people worldwide create meaningful change at www.epiqglobadl.com.

News Briefs

Trump fires Homeland Security Secretary Noem
   after mounting criticism over her leadership
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/03/05/trump-fires-homeland-security-secretary-noem-after-mounting-criticism-over-her-leadership/

Exclusive: Trump says he must be involved
   in picking Iran's next leader
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei

Federal trade judge orders Trump administration
   to start refunding $130B in tariffs
https://nypost.com/2026/03/05/business/federal-trade-judge-orders-trump-administration-to-start-refunding-130b-in-tariffs/

US Postal Service expects to run out of cash in a year
   without help from Congress, postmaster says
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/us-postal-service-expects-to-run-out-of-cash-in-a-21957893.php

United Airlines can now refuse to transport
    passengers who won’t wear headphones
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/united-airlines-can-now-refuse-transport-passengers-who-wont-wear-headphones

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Millions of Owner-Occupied Homes Remain
     Uninsured Nationwide
https://www.lendingtree.com/insurance/homes-uninsured-study/#:~:text=Of%20the%2086.6%20million%20owner,without%20insurance%
20out%20of%20necessity

This hip L.A. neighborhood is installing
    emergency sirens to warn of ICE raids
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-05/ice-siren-la-activists

Paramount CEO David Ellison vows to maintain CNN’s   
     ‘editorial  independence’ after Warner Bros. bidding war win
https://nypost.com/2026/03/05/business/paramounts-david-ellison-vows-to-maintain-cnns-editorial-independence/

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Sports Briefs

In the shadow of the Super Bowl,
   Great America slowly dies
https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/super-bowl-great-america-21316236.php

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California News Briefs

Rivian opens new facility in Silicon Valley,
 kicking off multi-million dollar tax deal
https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/05/rivian-milpitas-electric-cars-sales-tax-budget/

A new California area ranks No. 1
    for the most expensive homes
https://www.sfgate.com/california/article/bay-area-expensive-zip-21953081.php

Alysa Liu now has her own massive Oakland mural
https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/alysa-liu-oakland-mural-21949183.php

Iconic Calif. cannery bankruptcy leaves hundreds
     laid off and $550M in farm losses
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/del-monte-modesto-plant-closure-21953566.php

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Gimme that Wine

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

Mount Veeder vineyard hit with foreclosure notice
https://napacountytimes.com/alpha-omega-winery-hit-with-foreclosure-notice/

California wine giant acquires Oregon brand
  specializing in white blends
https://www.oregonlive.com/wine/2026/03/california-wine-giant-acquires-oregon-brand-specializing-in-white-blends.html

Gallo Luxury Group Announces The Debut
     Release Of Monte Rosso Estate Wines
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/314882

Central Coast 2026 Unveils Unprecedented Keynote Panel
Panelists include The New York Times Chief Wine Critic Eric Asimov, Jess Druey, the Gen Z Disruptor Behind GALLO's Whiny Baby Acquisition, Los Angeles-based journalist Terry Stanley with Muse by Clios, and Shilah Salmon, SVP of Marketing, Luxury Portfolio, Duckhorn Portfolio
by Wine Business Monthly
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/311573