See how a long-standing relationship with Ithaca College has supported a consistent, forward-looking approach to capital planning—and continues to deliver value today.
A Strong Foundation
It’s rare to work with the same organization for more than two decades. It’s even more rare for that relationship to continue strengthening over time.
When First American began working with Ithaca College, the focus was not just on solving a specific need. It was on understanding what mattered most: supporting students, enabling faculty, and aligning decisions with the institution’s broader mission.
“First American impressed us from the start. Having a leasing organization that really understands our business and our why is really beneficial.”
- David Weil, CIO, Ithaca College
That shared understanding shaped how everything moved forward, from early conversations to long-term planning.
Take a closer look at how that relationship has developed and the value it continues to deliver:
Focused on the Long Term
What makes a relationship like this last? It starts with clear alignment on what success looks like.
From the outset, First American's focus was on understanding how Ithaca College planned, budgeted, and made decisions, then building something that could grow alongside the institution over time.
"Since day one with Ithaca College, we've really thought about: what does success look like a decade out?"
– Alan Sikora, CEO, First American
By working closely with both the finance and IT teams, First American designed a technology financing structure that reflects how the institution actually operates. The program supports consistent device refresh cycles, multi‑year cost visibility, and flexibility as needs evolve.
This program has remained effective for more than twenty years, allowing Ithaca College to adapt and build on what was already in place without needing to start over.
"If you'd asked me 22 years ago, would we have leased 23,000 computers from the same company over this extended period of time—I would have gone, no way."
– David Weil, CIO, Ithaca College
Read the full case study for more details on how the program has evolved.
Value That Compounds Over Time
Through the years, Ithaca College has had opportunities to consider alternative providers. Each evaluation led to the same decision to continue working with First American, as others could not match the level of engagement, understanding, and continuity they had come to rely on.
“… we’ve had opportunities to look at other leasing providers, but every time we came back to say, no, they're just not providing the same level of service, or they're not asking the right questions, or they're not leaning into us the way that we have grown accustomed to with First American. That's something that's very valuable.”
– David Weil, CIO, Ithaca College
That difference is intentional. With every client, First American’s focus extends beyond any single transaction. The goal is to serve as a reliable, consistent provider who takes the time to understand each organization’s unique priorities, decision‑making processes, and long‑term objectives, then applies that understanding to deliver financing solutions that remain effective for years into the future.
