NEW YORK (PRWEB) OCTOBER 27, 2022
The Bond Buyer, Arizent's essential resource serving the municipal finance community, has announced the inaugural inductees for its new Hall of Fame program, which recognizes and celebrates groundbreaking individuals who have left an indelible legacy on the business of municipal finance and the people and places it represents. The class will give representation to a range of different areas and specialties within the business, and provide an aspirational path for each sector of public finance.
Five of the industry's most impactful careers — and the people behind them — are honored in the first-ever group of inductees. Those individuals are:
- Ben Watkins, Director of Bond Finance, State of Florida
- F. John White, Chairman Emeritus, Public Financial Management
- Suzanne Shank, President & CEO, Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC
- Roger Davis, Partner, Orrick
- David Andersen, Managing Director, Municipal Negotiated and Competitive Underwriting, BofA Securities
In addition, the new initiative will posthumously honor two legendary leaders who passed away this year: Claire Cohen and Frank Hoadley. Cohen was one of the first women professionals in the municipal bond industry, with a career in public finance that spanned 49 years. Hoadley, a retired Wisconsin Capital Finance Director, left an influential mark on the public finance industry as a champion of issuer advocacy and best marketplace practices.
"There are countless individuals deserving of the Hall of Fame honor, but for our first class, we selected a mix of municipal professionals from a variety of sectors of the business to represent the myriad ways in which to have an influential career," said Michael Scarchilli, Editor in Chief of The Bond Buyer. "These individuals are standard-bearers, innovators, trend-setters — people who have had an indelible impact on the industry they've dedicated their professional lives to."
The inaugural class will be celebrated at The Bond Buyer Hall of Fame Honoree Dinner on Tuesday, November 15 at the conclusion of their INFRASTRUCTURE conference, which takes place November 14-15 at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. The dinner will also host honorees of the seventh-annual Rising Stars program, which showcases the brightest young minds in the municipal bond industry.
"We intend for the Hall of Fame to grow into an annual tradition, celebrating not just the modern day, but also those of the past," said Michael Ballinger, Publisher of The Bond Buyer. "And with the celebration also inclusive of our annual class of Rising Stars, we can map that journey from Rising Star of today to Hall of Famer of tomorrow."
The list of Hall of Fame honorees and their profiles can be found here.
About The Bond Buyer
Since 1891, The Bond Buyer has empowered issuers, investors and other municipal finance professionals to navigate the complexities of policy, regulation, market activity, infrastructure, public/private partnerships and more. Across its journalism, events, research and benchmarking, The Bond Buyer provides insight into the most relevant topics — from ESG to innovative deal structures. As the only independent resource serving the complete municipal finance community, The Bond Buyer's authoritative content connects leaders online, in person and in print every day.
About Arizent
Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent also connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News and Digital Insurance.