Caterpillar highlights October staffing shuffles

Manufacturers, dealers and lenders in the heavy-equipment industry have seen leadership changes over the past month.  

Keene newest Caterpillar board member 

Manufacturing giant Caterpillar appointed Nazzic S. Keene to its board of directors, effective Nov. 1, according to an Oct. 11 news release. Keene will serve on Caterpillar’s Nominating and Governance Committee and Compensation and Human Resources Committee.  

She was chief executive of government services and technology company Science Applications International Corp. until retiring last year. 

Stearns Bank names Stark head of equipment finance 

St. Cloud, Minn.-based Stearns Bank expanded its leadership team by naming Bob Stark president of its equipment finance division, effective immediately, according to an Oct. 8 company release. Stark will oversee strategies and execution at Stearns Bank’s largest and oldest division. 

With 35 years of financial experience, Stark has held leadership roles at Channel Partners Capital, TCF Equipment Finance, Huntington Bank, Firstar Equipment Finance and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance.  

Tellus Equipment taps Miller as CEO 

Tellus Equipment Solutions, a certified John Deere dealer with 25 locations across Texas, appointed Scott Miller as chief executive, effective Oct. 28, according to an Oct. 8 company release. The role was last held by Jeff Donaldson. 

Miller most recently worked at consulting and dealership training firm NCM Associates, advising heavy-equipment dealerships on growth and development. He also was president of United Ag & Turf and CEO of Theriault Equipment, both of which are John Deere dealers. 

Sandler takes reins at Stonebriar 

Plano, Texas-based Stonebriar Commercial Finance, an equipment and commercial truck finance provider, elevated co-founder Nicholas Sandler to CEO, according to a Sept. 30 release. Sandler succeeded co-founder Dave B. Fate, who will remain with the company through next year as senior adviser and vice chairman. 

Sandler had been president of Stonebriar since 2021. The company did not disclose why Fate stepped down.  

EverBank names Carr head of new division 

Jacksonville, Fla.-based EverBank appointed Maureen Carr as managing director of its new corporate asset finance division, according to an Oct. 23 company release. The division will complement EverBank’s vendor equipment finance business and focus on financing for various equipment types, including construction, transportation, manufacturing and technology. 

Carr has held leadership roles at Pacific Western Bank, Tygris Financial and Royal Bank. She was also an Equipment Leasing and Finance Association board member from 2020 to 2022.