Brendan Barry
Bond Rating Roundtable
Tuesday October 22 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Project Manager
NeighborWorks Capital
Brendan Barry is a Coordinator of Research & Technical Assistance at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). His areas of focus include tribal finance, tax increment finance, cannabis finance, and federal finance programs. Brendan manages the CDFA Community Facilities Technical Assistance Program for Tribal Communities; a program designed to assist tribal communities access financing for their community facilities infrastructure by utilizing the USDA's Community Facilities Program and other development finance tools. He's also contributed to the CDFA Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance 3rd Edition, the Rural Development Finance Toolkit, the National Development Finance Summit, numerous policy papers, and various internal projects. In 2023, he gained certification as a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) through the CDFA Training Institute.
Brendan received a Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Angela Blatt
Why Bond Deals Go Bad
Tuesday April 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Director, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies
As Director of Research & Technical Assistance with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), Angela focuses on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded initiative “Defining the Food System Asset Class,” whereby CDFA explores opportunities for the advancement of local and regional food systems using development finance tools. Through this initiative, Angela collaborates with communities across the country providing technical assistance and producing strategic plans for development finance strategies that meet infrastructure, agriculture, and small business needs to support equitable, local food economies. Angela leads CDFA’s Food Systems Finance Advisory Council, joining both the food and finance industries, administers CDFA’s Food Systems Finance Webinar Series, connecting food-related businesses and projects with development finance agencies, and manages the Food and Agriculture Finance Update monthly newsletter. In 2021, she gained certification as a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) through the CDFA Training Institute.
A Navy Veteran, Angela holds two degrees from The Ohio State University: a Master of Public Administration with a focus on Food Policy from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and a Bachelor of Science from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Oreste Casciaro
Bond Market 2024 Forecast
Tuesday January 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Economic Development & Bond Finance
Tuesday February 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Financing Charter Schools with Social Bonds
Tuesday August 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Vice President, Relationship Management
The Bank of New York Mellon
Oreste has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He is a senior relationship manager at BNY Mellon’s Corporate Trust Public Finance group, covering the North East region, primarily supporting the largest municipal issuers in New York City and New York State. Oreste began his career at a New York Stock Exchange specialist-trading firm during which he obtained his BBA and MBA in Finance.
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Tammy Davis
The Re-emergence of Bond Banks
Tuesday March 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Why Bond Deals Go Bad
Tuesday April 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Management
The Bank of New York Mellon
Tammy is currently a Senior Relationship Manager in Corporate Trust for The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company. Based in the Midwest, she manages trustee, paying agent and escrow services for a portfolio of healthcare, higher education, state/ local government and housing clients. She has sales and business development responsibilities over a very diverse mix of corporate trust products and bond financing structures. Previous to her current business development role, Tammy was a Team Leader managing several administrators with responsibility for managing overall client relationships, reviewing documents associated with bond financings, ensuring accounts are properly established on all systems and, performing day to day administrative duties such a investments, cash movement, compliance monitoring, and debt service processing for numerous relationships. Tammy joined the public finance corporate trust industry in 1996 through heritage organizations and has over 30 years of total banking experience. She has a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Finance.
Wayne Edmiston
Exploring New IIJA Bond Categories
Tuesday September 17 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Vice President/Senior Relationship Manager
The Bank of New York Mellon
Wayne “Ed” Edmiston has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, specifically Corporate Trust. Ed started his career originally with First Union, before later joining BB&T, and then US Bank. He took a tour as a military contractor for several years working with the Marine Corps, US Navy, Coast Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Customs and Boder Patrol, Homeland Security, and numerous foreign military branches. When he left that career option, Ed chose once again to pursue old habits in 2021 coming back to his roots in Corporate Trust as a Transaction Manager with BNY Mellon and later was chosen to serve a Senior Relationship Manager role in 2022. Over his long-term commitment to the public finance and corporate trust market, Ed has gained an exceptionally strong knowledge regarding general rate bond debt, the roles of custodian, municipal trustee, and escrow agent, with a keen specialty towards education, higher education, and hospital bond deals. Ed received his BA in Finance from the University of North Florida, Jacksonville.
Michael Gaughan
The Re-emergence of Bond Banks
Tuesday March 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Executive Director & Secretary
Vermont Bond Bank
Michael became the Executive Director and Secretary of the Bond Bank in 2018. He is also the Executive Director of the Vermont Educational and Health Buildings Financing Agency. He is the Bond Bank’s representative to the State of Vermont’s Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee.
Michael was previously a Director for the National Development Council (NDC)—a national community development finance nonprofit and PNC where he served as a public finance banker focused on governmental, housing, and community facilities transactions.
Michael is on the Executive Committee of the City of Burlington's Planning Commission, board member of the NESGFOA, and an advisor to the GFOA’s Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College and a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
John Hallacy III
Bond Market 2024 Forecast
Tuesday January 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
President
John Hallacy Consulting LLC
John Hallacy is President of John Hallacy Consulting LLC where he assists money managers, data and software providers, and other industry participants. He is a prolific writer on LinkedIn and is quoted in the media. This enterprise follows a long tenure in the municipal business, predominantly as head of municipal research for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. John has also spent time as an analyst and manager at S&P Global, underwriter and marketer at four bond insurance companies, and as a contributing editor at The Bond Buyer. He has served as the head of MAGNY and president of the Society of Municipal Analysts. He is also a past board member of NFMA. Institutional Investor and Smith’s Research & Gradings have ranked him on numerous occasions.
Terry Hayes
The Re-emergence of Bond Banks
Tuesday March 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Executive Director
Maine Municipal Bond Bank
Terry Hayes joined the team at the Maine Municipal Bond Bank as its Executive Director in January 2020. As Maine State Treasurer in 2015 through 2019, Terry served on all three of the governing boards providing oversight to the Bond Bank and its clients (MMBB, MHHEFA, and MGFA). She served in the Maine State Legislature in 2006 through 2014, representing the Oxford County towns of Buckfield, Hartford, Paris, and Sumner. Terry has her B.A. from Bowdoin College and her M.B.A. from Thomas College.
Emmett Kelly
Why Bond Deals Go Bad
Tuesday April 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Attorney
Frost Brown Todd LLP
Emmett is a partner in the Columbus office and practices in the Lending and Commercial Services and Government Services practice group. He has served as bond counsel, structuring counsel, underwriter's counsel, developer's counsel and purchaser's counsel for various taxable and tax-exempt project and revenue bond financings, including private activity bonds (IDB's), municipal, education, health care financings, renewable and alternative energy, and traditional general obligation, 501 (c)(3) issues.
He serves as bond counsel and special counsel on economic development financing and incentive projects utilizing tax increment financing, joint enterprise development districts, enterprise zones, energy special improvement districts, and community reinvestment areas. Emmett also serves as counsel to economic development entities such as community improvement corporations, new community authorities, regional planning commissions, convention facilities authorities, water and sewer districts, and port authorities on general, economic development and special obligation revenue financing matters. In the traditional general obligation area, he serves as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel and purchaser's counsel for general obligation, special obligation revenue bond and note financings for municipalities, school districts, counties, townships, port authorities, convention facilities authorities and other public sector entities.
In the area of property assessed clean energy (P.A.C.E.), renewable and alternative energy projects and on P3's (public/private partnerships) transactions Emmett has served as legal counsel and as a consultant. He has worked on P3's, which have included tax increment financing, special assessments, private equity and assets, and governmental services and assets, for land development projects and public works.
Nicole Krippel
Economic Development & Bond Finance
Tuesday February 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Director, Tax Exempt Financing
PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation)
Nicole Krippel is the Director of the Tax- Exempt Financing Program on behalf of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”) at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (“PIDC”). PAID issues debt for capital projects and on behalf of a broad range of small industrial and non-profit borrowers that include arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, medical facilities, social services, affordable housing, and community development corporations.
Together with the tax-exempt program, Nicole also facilitates grants for capital needs for PIDC on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Water Department.
Nicole received her B.S. from Drexel University and a post baccalaureate certificate from Villanova University. Nicole has worked in the public finance sector since 2000 and began working at PIDC in November of 2007 in the capacity of Bond Administrator, and in April of 2021 was named the Director of the Tax-Exempt Program.
Ariel Miller
The Re-emergence of Bond Banks
Tuesday March 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Director, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Ariel Miller is the Senior Director of Research & Technical Assistance with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). During her time at CDFA, she has conducted research and data collection, written numerous publications, and developed curriculum on topics including access to capital programs, equitable economic development, infrastructure finance, federal finance, tax credit programs, and food system finance. Ariel also leads technical assistance engagements with development finance agencies for strategic planning, finance program development, and CDFI certification. In this role, she contributes to the organization’s strategic planning, staff development, and day-to-day management, in addition to leading the Research & Technical Assistance team. Ariel received her Master of City and Regional Planning degree from The Ohio State University, where she also earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.
Stephen Pearlman
Why Bond Deals Go Bad
Tuesday April 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Partner
Pearlman & Miranda, LLC
Stephen B. Pearlman is a founding partner of the decade old specialty law firm Pearlman & Miranda, LLC, Newark, New Jersey. For nearly 4 decades, many as a senior finance partner at multiple large NJ law firms, Mr. Pearlman has closed over $21 billion par amount of financings, primarily in his sub-specialty practice areas of project, public, redevelopment, and renewable energy finance. He has structured and created new financing models in all of these areas, drafted and consulted on finance legislation, lectured and published nationally and locally regarding a variety of these financing techniques and transactions, and some of his models and projects have won awards. His clients include State, local and regional governments, private developers and commercial interests, not for profit organizations and trade associations, investment and hedge funds, all manner of municipal marketplace participants, and other institutional finance parties. He has volunteered for multiple formal and informal committees where his finance expertise is routinely sought by decision makers in and out of government. For the past two decades, he has been annually recognized by peer bar groups in the highest rated category for lawyers.
Troy Pitman
AI & Bonds
Tuesday May 21 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Navigating ESG in the Bond Market
Tuesday July 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Vice President, Relationship Management
The Bank of New York Mellon
Troy Pitman joined BNY Mellon in 2007 as a Corporate Trust Administrator in BNY’s Seattle office. A promotion to Client Service Manager prompted a moved to Denver in 2010 and in 2015, he shifted focus from a client service to business development role where he currently serves municipal clients as a Relationship Manager in the public/not-for-profit segment.
Troy has extensive experience managing a wide variety of debt issuances, escrows and custody/safekeeping relationships and has enjoyed working with a broad range of clients including those in healthcare, housing, higher ed, transportation and all levels of state and local governments. He is also heavily involved in BNY Mellon’s market-leading efforts in the Property Assessed Clean Energy “PACE” Bond space.
Troy is a recipient of BNY Mellon’s prestigious Above and Beyond Award, recognizing individuals whose commitment to our company’s values of Client Focus, Trust, Teamwork and Outperformance, greatly exceeds expectations.
Troy earned a B.A., Business Administration degree from the University of Washington and currently resides in Northeast Denver with his wife and two young children.
Brian Regueiro
Bond Market 2024 Forecast
Tuesday January 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Director – Public Finance
Huntington Capital Markets
Brian Regueiro leads the central and southern Ohio and western Pennsylvania public finance coverage for Huntington Capital Markets. He has over 10 years of experience in Public Finance and has been with Huntington since April of 2019. He has primarily covered large, frequent municipal bond issuers including the State of Ohio, City of Columbus, Ohio Turnpike & Infrastructure Commission, and Hamilton County among others. Additionally, he has covered higher education and healthcare borrowers including UPMC, OhioHealth, Cleveland Clinic, Summa Health, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University, Denison University, and Oberlin College among others. Since joining Huntington, he has also worked with developers and other private entities that utilize public incentives in bond financings.
Brian earned his M.S. degree in Financial Engineering from Kent State University and his B.S. degree in Actuarial Science from Ohio State University. Brian holds Series 50, 52, 53, 54, 63, and 79 licenses.
He lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and 3 daughters.
Barnet Sherman
AI & Bonds
Tuesday May 21 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Managing Partner, The Tenbar Group
Boston University
Barnet Sherman is passionate in his belief that governments, businesses, and entrepreneurship can have a transformative, positive impact on communities. Over his 30 years as an institutional investor managing multibillion-dollar municipal bond portfolios at Morgan Stanley and TIAA, he directly financed hundreds of projects nationwide, from senior living to economic development to broadband. He has seen first-hand the positive economic impact of these projects benefiting dozens of communities. From this experience, he is widely regarded as a subject matter expert in his field. Correspondingly, Mr. Sherman founded The Tenbar Group in 2016. With mission-driven clients from NYSE-listed companies to private equity funds to startups, he provides advice to Boards and C-suite executives on maximizing economic impact for all stakeholders. He has also served as a Director and Advisor on numerous Boards, both for-profit and nonprofit. As a Senior Contributor to Forbes.com for over a decade, with nearly 100 articles with numerous “Editor’s Pick” commendations and other business writing awards, his thinking has been sought by and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, INC, Chronicle of Higher Education, Businessweek, Barron’s, and CNBC. Over the last few years, his focus has been on technology and its effect on the capital markets. Also a Professor at Boston University, he offers graduate students in his Multinational Finance & Trade and Corporate Finance courses practical, professional-world insights on these complex topics. You can find his Official Boston University Faculty website here. He is an Eagle Scout as well as a lifetime member of the Eagle Scout Association. He credits being a former Congressional Aide as a formative experience. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Mr. Sherman earned his undergraduate degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, where he was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. His Master’s in Public Administration is from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
Mitchell Smith
Economic Development & Bond Finance
Tuesday February 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Impacts of Inflation on Bond Yields, Arbitrage, and Rates
Tuesday June 18 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Exploring Common Bond Reserve Funds
Tuesday December 17 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Director, Government & External Affairs
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Mitchell Smith is the Senior Director of Government and External Affairs at the Council of Development Finance Agencies. Previously, Mitchell worked for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission on the education research team and served as the committee staffer for the House of Representatives Primary and Secondary Education Committee. There, Mitchell drafted legislation and completed legal research on behalf of the Ohio General Assembly.
A native of Bentonville, Arkansas, Mitchell attended the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, where he received his B.A. in American Studies and Political Science in 2009 and was a punter for the Razorbacks. He went on to complete his M.A. in American History and then relocated to Ohio University to complete a Ph.D. in American History. His specialization is in American diplomatic history, politics, and culture.
Sean Stein Smith
AI & Bonds
Tuesday May 21 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Professor
City University of New York – Lehman College
Sean is a professor at the City University of New York – Lehman College. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, where he chairs the Accounting Work Group. Sean sits on the Advisory Board of Gilded, a cryptoasset payment firm, and serves as a Strategic Advisor to the Central Bank Digital Currency Think Tank. He has a weekly column with Forbes, in the Crypto & Blockchain vertical. Sean is also the immediate past chairperson of the NJCPA's Emerging Technologies Interest Group (#NJCPATech), where he hosts the NJCPA TechTalk Podcast, and is the President-Elect of the NYSSCPA Manhattan-Bronx Chapter. Sean has guest lectured at over a dozen universities in the United States, including multiple institutions ranked in Top #25 overall, and has delivered lectures and training to Top 10 accounting firms, the PCAOB, and the FDIC. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, with a book due out in 2022. Sean is a sought after speaker on the topic of crypto and blockchain, and is an award winning researcher.
Patricia Trlak
Impacts of Inflation on Bond Yields, Arbitrage, and Rates
Tuesday June 18 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Bond Financing for Manufacturers & Non-Profits
Tuesday November 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Vice President, Relationship Management
The Bank of New York Mellon
Patricia is a Relationship Manager in the Public-Not-For-Profit sector at BNY Mellon. She has over 30 years of Corporate Trust experience managing a wide variety of municipal and corporate debt issues with a primary focus on serving public sector clients. She began her early career in Corporate Trust in Orlando, Florida with Suntrust Bank. Patricia later transferred to the Trust Company Bank in Atlanta, Georgia to become an Operations Manager while staying in the field of Corporate Trust. Eventually, she made her way to Chicago, Illinois where she has continued her career in the Corporate Trust industry. Patricia is a graduate of Florida State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics
Larry Wiemer
Economic Development & Bond Finance
Tuesday February 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Executive Director
Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority
Larry D. Wiemer II serves as the Executive Director for the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA). He began in that role in March 2022. Prior to this position, Mr. Wiemer held several senior level finance positions including Treasury Director/Chief Investment Officer of Marshfield Clinic Health System, as well as Sr. Director of Finance for Aurora Health Care. As either an issuer or borrower, Mr. Wiemer has been involved in over 50 tax-exempt bond deals, totaling over $3 billion dollars. Mr. Wiemer started his career with the Milwaukee office of KPMG and is a certified public accountant (license is inactive). Mr. Wiemer earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
James Young
Bond Rating Roundtable
Tuesday October 22 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Exploring Common Bond Reserve Funds
Tuesday December 17 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Senior Vice President | Relationship Manager
The Bank of New York Mellon
James joined The Bank of New York Mellon in February 2010; he joined the Northeast Public Not For Profit Group in January 2012 as a Client and Business Development Relationship Manager. James has more than 15 years’ experience in the Corporate Trust Industry.
James has had experience with Corporate Finance accounts, Municipal Debt transactions, Tax-Exempt Financing, Private Placements, and complex escrow accounts.
James has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University. He is also a Certified Corporate Trust Specialist (CCTS) from the Institute of Certified Bankers, and a graduate of the Cannon Financial Institute’s Corporate Trust School.
Zeyu Zhang
Bond Market 2024 Forecast
Tuesday January 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
AI & Bonds
Tuesday May 21 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Navigating ESG in the Bond Market
Tuesday July 16 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Exploring New IIJA Bond Categories
Tuesday September 17 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Bond Financing for Manufacturers & Non-Profits
Tuesday November 19 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Manager, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Zeyu Zhang is a Manager of Research & Technical Assistance for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Her focus areas include bond, infrastructure finance, energy, PACE, and P3. She contributes to the team by managing federal programs, conducting research on development finance-related topics, generating reports, and performing data analysis.
Zeyu received her Ph.D. degree in Mass Communication at Ohio University in 2021. She has expertise in media studies, research designs, and data analysis. She has a Master’s degree in Digital Storytelling from Ball State University. Prior to joining CDFA, she worked as a researcher, instructor, research assistant, and program assistant. She is excited to advance her career by deepening her knowledge in the field of development finance.
Fawn Zimmerman
Financing Charter Schools with Social Bonds
Tuesday August 20 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Director, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Fawn Zimmerman is a Director of Research & Technical Assistance at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) working to create, develop, and execute programming which will help underserved communities gain more access to capital. She is responsible for working on the CDFA Equitable Capital Loan Guarantee Program designed to bring more capital to minority small businesses and the CDFA–NASDA Foundation Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Access to Capital Program focused on curating an extensive database of agricultural resources, providing hands-on technical assistance, and developing culturally significant programming to encourage increased investment in socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Fawn studied at Ohio University as a post graduate and holds a BA with honors in Communication from The Ohio State University. She also has extensive experience working within the real estate industry in sales, investing, marketing, and operations; and, she has provided leadership in a variety of settings including classrooms, training sessions, production sets, and writing projects. She has long united her career goals with her philanthropic ones, and looks forward to applying her creative, academic, and work experiences together to promote positive changes within the development finance landscape.