VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 – SUMMER/FALL 2015

TX-WPF PUBLICATION

Committees 2 Members on the Move 2 Updating Your Contact Information 2 Women in the Spotlight 3 Women in the Spotlight (Con’t) 4 Upcoming Events 5 Past Event Photos 6 TxWPF 2015 Sponsors 7 Sponsorship Opportunities 7 Coming Soon 7

INSIDE THE ISSUE

Kathy Garner, President Haynes and Boone, LLP

Georgia Sanchez, Vice President

City of Austin

Elizabeth Rippy Bowes, Secretary Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP

Danni Breaux, Treasurer

Frost Bank – Capital Markets

Kim Edwards Piper Jaffray & Co

Charisse Mosely City of Houston

Marisol Warneke

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co, Inc.

Lynette Bratton Bratton & Associates

Leslie Lukens Martin

Cavana Hill Investment Management

Kathy McQuiston BOKF, NA dba Bank of Texas, Corporate

Trust Department

Linda Dzierzanowski Bennett CPS Energy

Robbi Jones Kipling Jones

Julie Seebach

The PFM Group

Michelle Smithen Stephens Inc.

Maria Urbina FirstSouthwet

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS & COUNCIL

“The mission of Women in Public Finance - Texas Chapter is to advance women’s leadership opportunities and potential by fostering relationships and providing educational forums.”

Dear Texas Women in Public Finance Members: In a world where most Texas public finance transactions are negotiated, sold and closed by email and telephone, meeting our colleagues in person is rare. One important aspect of TXWPF that is personally satisfying to me is the opportunity to meet women from all over Texas, many of whom I worked with on numerous occasions but never actually met, until now. For that reason alone (and many others), I encourage you to attend the Chapter’s events. With almost 400 members in less than three years, it is obvious that the Chapter filled a big void, and thanks to the work of the charter members who came together on a conference call three years ago, our Chapter is a reality. Now, due to the leadership of prior Chapter presidents, Cheryl Rosenberg, Kim Edwards and Stephanie Henning and the other officers, directors, and committee chairs, the Chapter has resolved many of the issues associated with a new organization and is moving forward with more events and programs, both educational and entertaining, and a scholarship program. Equally exciting are the events that have become annual gatherings of our members. The Chapter will host its third annual state-wide conference in February, 2016 in Houston. Our annual post-Texas Bond Buyer Conference luncheon at The County Line, followed by an afternoon of community service at the Capital Area Food Bank organized by Amanda Lavin, has been a huge success. And, in addition to kick-starting our new scholarship program, Shawnell Holman has organized many excellent mentoring programs and produced this newsletter. Of course, all of our efforts would fall short if we didn’t have our treasurer, Danni Breaux, keeping an eye on the bottom line. The Chapter has been approved as a qualified provider of CPE credit thanks to Marti Shew’s efforts. CPE participation certificates will be issued for future events. This year proves to be another busy year for our chapter; we have hosted six events during 2015 and have several more planned for the remainder of the year. Over 100 members attended the second annual conference held at The Tower Club in Dallas in January. The Dallas Conference Committee, Marti Shew, Jeanie Yarbrough, Stephanie Henning, Jenny Lurkins, Julie MacMillan, and Jennie Zhao, did an excellent job. At the Conference, former State Senator Florence Shapiro spoke about her long, varied career in public service. A panel consisting of Tracy Ginsberg, of TASBO, Rusty Kelly of Blackridge Governmental Affairs, and Greg Schaecher of McCall

Parkhurst (filling in for Carol Polumbo) discussed expectations of the 84th

Legislative Session. Lisa Belkin, Senior National Correspondent for Yahoo, was informative as well as entertaining in her remarks about holding on to sanity while balancing family, friendships, home, and work. In February, the Houston region hosted “Cooking Therapy with Monica Pope” at her newest restaurant, Sparrow; Ms. Pope discussed her decision to change her focus, open a new restaurant using local and regional ingredients, and pursue her goal to alter the way Houston eats. A San Antonio “Brunch & Learn” in March created quite a buzz with its program, “Demystifying the Bond Pricing Process,” a lively discussion by a panel of two members, Tina Peterman of First Southwest Company and Jennifer Douglas of Specialized Public Finance, and representatives of JPMorgan and Cabrera Capital. In April, the Austin region organized a luncheon at which Mia Johns of Dress For Success Austin described the many personal and professional programs offered by Dress For Success, and Tripp Kaiser of Municipal Market Analytics discussed current trends in the municipal bond market. In June, the Houston region invited members to a review of the actions taken by the 84th Legislature from both sides of the aisle by State Representatives Rafael Anchia (D - Dallas) and Jim Murphy (R - Houston). Most recently, in July, the Austin region provided a recap of new legislation affecting public finance; the discussion was led by Lynn Moak of Moak, Casey and Associates and State Representative Morgan Meyer (R - Houston). The Chapter recently added the El Paso region and expects to host events in that area of the State later this year. Please check the Events Calendar in this newsletter and our website, www.txwpf.org, for future events. This year promises more exciting times in Texas public finance. Please encourage other women in your firm, and your friends and colleagues in other firms, to join us. I certainly have enjoyed my involvement with TXWPF and am excited to be part of its leadership for the coming year.

Kathy Garner, President

The President’s Message

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Almost one year ago, two veteran investment bankers, Carmen Tyler Best and Yava Scott decided to team up again and chart their own paths and established YaCari Consultants, LLC. YaCari is a registered municipal advisory firm, headquartered in Houston and certified as a Woman Business Enterprise, a Minority Business Enterprise and a Historically Under-Utilized Business. The principals have combined experience of over 40 years in the public finance industry. Their extensive experience in public finance encompasses a vast array of municipal clients, from small to very large, all with a broad range of financings needs, diverse economic bases, various types of revenue streams and their individual public policy concerns and constraints. Their years of experience in both the public and private sectors of the public finance industry enable them to have a unique perspective and gives them a distinct advantage when approaching very challenging and complex financings. Utilizing this experience with both traditional financing methods and alternative financing/ delivery methods, YaCari has recently been selected to serve as co-financial advisor on the financing transactions which include Coastal Water Authority SWIFT Loan, City of Houston, Combined Utility System First Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2015D and the City of Houston Criminal Justice Complex. YaCari is off to a great start and they are very excited about the future opportunities in the municipal advisory space.

Yava Scott Carmen Tyler Best

COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND SUB-CHAIRS

If your TX-WPF membership contact information has changed for any reason, please submit any updates via email to

the Membership Committee Chair, Marisol Warneke, at warnekem@stifel.com. Thank you!

EVENTS COMMITTEE: Kathryn Garner, Haynes and Boone, LLP, Committee Chair

Elizabeth Rippy Bowes, Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP, Region Chair – Austin Rebecca Moss, Winstead PC, Region Chair – Austin

Kim Edwards, Piper Jaffray & Co, Region Chair– Austin Marti Shew, FirstSouthwest, Region Chair – Dallas

Kathy McQuiston, BOK Financial, Region Chair– Dallas

Caresse Tankersley, Bank of Texas, Region Chair– Dallas

Carmen Best, YaCari Consultants, LLC, Region Chair – Houston

Laurie Bricker, Jefferies & Co, Region Chair – Houston

Kristin Blomquist, FirstSouthwest, Region Chair – Houston

Danni Breaux, Frost Bank – Capital Markets, Region Chair – San Antonio

WEBSITE COMMITTEE: Danni Breaux, Frost Bank – Capital Markets, Chair

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE:

Nikki Doby, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C, Editor Shawnell Holman, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C

COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE: Carmen Best, YaCari Consultants LLC, Executive Council Liaison

Lynette Bratton, Bratton & Associates, Houston Region Chair Amanda Lavin, Texas Water Development Board, Austin Region Chair

Position Vacant, Dallas Region Position Vacant, San Antonio Region

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE:

Stephanie Henning, RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Shawnell Holman, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C. Leslie Lukens Martin, Cavana Hill Investment Management

Lynette Bratton, Bratton & Associates

Danni Breaux, Frost Bank – Capital Markets

Kim Edwards, Piper Jaffray & Co Rebecca Moses, Fitch Ratings

Nikki Doby, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Marisol Warneke, Stifel, Nicolaus & Co, Inc., Chair

MENTORING COMMITTEE:

Shawnell Holman, Chair, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C., Chair

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An industry veteran, ERLINDA CORTEZ'S encyclopedic knowledge of the business is remarkable. However, what’s even more impressive is the admiration her colleagues express about her ability to cultivate genuine relationships across the industry. With over 30 years of experience in public finance underwriting that includes more than $32 billion in transactions, she has worked on projects for toll roads, economic development projects, schools, colleges, gas, electric and water systems, airports, convention centers, hospitals and housing projects. Ms. Cortez formerly served as Vice Chairperson for the Texas Public Finance Authority where she acquired experience as an issuer and understands the dynamic relationship between issuers and consultants. She was also Chairperson of The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Public Policy Board. She has extensive community advocacy experience and served as administrator for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund for 14 years. Ms. Cortez graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University with a degree in Business Management and holds FINRA registrations 7, 24, 52, 53, 65 and 63.

Nicknamed by many a “Jill- of- All Trades,” the breadth of JANICE DUGAR DAVIS’ professional experiences and hobbies, many of which have evolved into business ventures, is inspiring. However, Janice notes that her most important position has been mother to her daughter and son. While raising a family, she earned her B.S. in Accounting at the University of New Orleans. After positions for the Orleans Parish School Board; the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans and earning her CPA designation, she accepted a position in the Controller’s Office for the City of Houston; going on to work for the Mayor of Houston. From the City of Houston, she went on to become the Director of Finance and Budget for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; the Chief Financial Officer of the Dallas Independent School District; Secretary of Financial Oversight/ Director of Finance for the City of Philadelphia; CFO of the City of Atlanta and CFO of the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA). After 30 plus years in government, Ms. Davis retired from the NTTA in April, 2014. In April 2014, Janice became a Sr. Consultant with TKG & Associates LLC providing municipal advisory services to numerous government and non-profit clients. Besides the City of Houston,

the firm numbers the North Texas Tollway Authority, Dallas County, the City of Shreveport, and Dallas Area Rapid Transportation among its clients. In late 2013, Janice turned one of her lifelong passions into a hobby with the formation of a manufacturing company, Rockin Jr Ranch. The Ranch makes small batch artisan jellies, sauces and New Orleans style hot sausage. The next year proved to be equally as busy, as she founded Janice Dugar Davis Consulting, providing financial and accounting advisory services to governments across the United States. She has served as a member of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and was a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson, Urban Health Initiative. She served on the executive board of the Big Sisters of Philadelphia. She is an active supporting member of Habitat for Humanity, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Southern Poverty Leadership Center, Share Our Strength, East Texas Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank. She is an active member of St. Mary’s Church in Mexia, Texas.

Ms. Davis is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Louisiana and Texas. She is a member of the AICPA, the Texas Society of CPAs, and the Association of Government Accountants. Ms. Davis is also a Certified Government Financial Manager and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Erlinda Cortez Managing Director

Siebert Brandford Shank, L.L.C

Janice Dugar Davis Sr. Consultant

TKG & Associates, LLC

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A problem solver at heart, DEBBIE SECHLER oversees the Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Procurement Departments Debbie Sechler in her role as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). Prior to her appointment as CFO, Debbie served as the Authority’s Controller from 2003 until 2013. Moreover, Ms. Sechler also serves as Chairman of the METRO Non Union Pension Plan Board and Secretary of the METRO Transport Workers Union Pension Plan Local 260 AFL-CIO Board and as a Trustee on the METRO Transportation Workers Union Local 260, AFL-CIO Health and Welfare Trust. Before joining METRO, Ms. Sechler's career in Finance and Information Technology began in public accounting with Ernst & Young. Subsequently she worked in a number of roles, including Controller in the Oil & Gas industry and as a Director with a global technology firm. Ms. Sechler is a member of Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Transportation Finance Learning Exchange (TFLEX), and former member of Houston Chapter of Texas Society of CPAs, Petroleum Accountants Society of Houston, Texas Society of CPAs, and American Society of CPAs. Ms. Sechler is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting and Business

Administration from Oklahoma Christian University and a Masters degree in Business from Abilene Christian University. An avid traveler who has dared to go sky diving, hot air ballooning, zip lining and hiking with her teenage daughters, Debbie says that she would encourage women to obtain a good base of education and experience to be confident and ready when the opportunities present themselves and not to narrow their career paths.

An Associate with Andrews Kurth LLP, NIKKI PASRIJA HILL brings a refreshing enthusiasm to public finance; noting that the most rewarding aspect of the business is the tangibility of what she works on. A graduate of the University of Texas Law School, Nikki says that “it is truly amazing to be able to point to physical aspects of your city and know that what you do has helped build that railway or that school, for example.” Her practice consists of mostly bond counsel work and some underwriters’ counsel work. She has primarily worked with cities, counties and school districts and occasionally also advises clients on general public law matters, including bond elections. Outside of work, Nikki loves to cook and enjoys a culinary challenge-endeavoring to try difficult recipes or to recreate dishes she’s had at restaurants!

I f yo u w o u l d l i k e to r ec o m m en d a p u b l i c f in a n c e p r o f es s i o n a l b e f ea tu red i n th e “ M e m b ers o n th e M o v e ” o r th e “ W o m en in

th e S p o t l ig h t ” s e ct io n fo r th e n ex t ed i t io n o f t h e T X - W P F n ew s l et t er , p lea s e em a i l y o u r re co m m e n d a t i o n ( s ) to N ik k i D o b y

( S i eb er t Br a n d f o rd S h a n k & C o . ) a t n d o d y@ s b s co . co m .

Nikki Pasrija Hill Associate

Andrews Kurth LLP

Debbie Sechler Executive Vice President & CFO Metropolitan Transit Authority

of Harris County

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The 19

th Annual Women in Public Finance Conference

The Standard Club

320 S. Plymouth Court Chicago, Illinois

Keynote Speaker: Jane Pauley

PREMIMINARY SCHEDULE

Pre-Conference Networking Event

Location: A Cocktail Reception will also be held prior to the event on the evening of September 30, 2015 at a venue to be determined.

Conference

10:30 AM – Chapter Meeting 11:00 AM – Registration Opens 11:30 AM – Opening Remarks 11:45 AM – Luncheon Begins 12:45 PM – Keynote Speaker

2:15 PM – Scholarship winners announced 2:45 PM – Panel Discussion 4:10 PM – Closing Remarks

4:30 PM – Breakout Sessions 5:00 PM – Scholarship Presentation

5:30 PM to 8:30 PM – Reception

ACCOMMODATIONS

Limited overnight accommodations have been reserved at the following hotels

(We recommend booking early due to other events in the city that week)

THE STANDARD CLUB Room rate is $185 plus applicable taxes. To reserve a room, call Claudia at 312.408.2818 or the front desk at 312.427.9100 (Mon-Fri). Indicate you are with the Women in Public Finance Annual Conference

room block. Rooms will be held until August 30, 2015.

THE PALMER HOUSE HILTON Room rate is $219 plus applicable taxes. To

reserve a room, call 877.865.5321 and request the group code WNF or reserve a room at: CLICK HERE Rooms will be held until August 31, 2015.

Jane Pauley will be the keynote speaker at the 19th Annual Women in Public Finance Conference.

Save Dates SAN ANTONIO REGION – 4TH QUARTER NETWORKING SOCIAL

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

7:00 PM To 9:00 PM Top Golf – 5539 North Loop 1604W

San Antonio, TX 78257

2016 TXWPF ANNUAL STATE-WIDE CONFERENCE Friday, February 26, 2016

Omni Riverway Hotel – Houston, Texas

(More information forthcoming on events listed above.)

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2015 TXWPF ANNUAL CONFERENCE – DALLAS, TX JANUARY 1, 2015

LUNCH AND LEARN – 84TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE PUBLIC FINANCE RECAP – AUSTIN, TX JULY 17, 2015

3RD QTR BRUNCH -N- BONDS – SAN ANTONIO, TX AUGUST 21, 2015

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WPF WOMEN IN PUBLIC FINANCE® is a registered trademark of Women in Public Finance and WPF WOMEN IN PUBLIC FINANCE – TEXAS CHAPTER is a trademark of Women in Public Finance – Texas Chapter and WOMEN IN PUBLIC FINANCE – TEXAS CHAPTER is an independent

organization separate and apart from the national organization.

As an event sponsor, your firm will have exposure to a fast growing organization. In addition to the networking opportunities, your company will receive recognition to all events for one calendar year.

How will your sponsorship benefit you?

As a sponsor, your firm will have exposure to the members of a fast-growing organization. In addition, your firm will receive clear recognition as a sponsor and your sponsorship level by inclusion of your firm’s logo on all invitations, in the event programs, and verbally at each event. We can arrange for you to display your

banner or logo at events. Our Sponsors will also be recognized on our website www.txwpf.org. Sponsorships are effective through the end of the calendar year in which they are paid.

Sponsorship Levels

Gold $1,500

Silver $1,000

Bronze $500

Payments for Sponsorship should be directed as follows:

Texas Women in Public Finance

C/O Cheryl Rosenberg, Esq. Haynes Boone, LLP

1221 McKinney Street – Suite 2122

Houston, TX 77010

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

www.txwpf.org

GOLD

McCall Parkhurst & Horton, LLP

Municipal Advisory Council of Texas

SILVER

Baker Williams & Mattheisen LLP

Fitch Ratings

Jefferies LLC

Specialized Public Finance Inc.

Wilmington Trust, N.A.

WEBSITE SPONSOR

ImageMaster

PLATINUM

Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP

Andrews Kurth LLP

BOSC, Inc.

Bracewell Giuliani LLP

Citi

FirstSouthwest Company

Frost Bank

George K. Baum & Company

Haynes and Boone, LLP

Norton Rose Fulbright

Piper Jaffray & Co, Inc.

Samual A. Ramirez & Co.

RBC Capital Markets

Winstead PC

TX-WPF is excited to announce that in the near future we will begin sharing job listings in the finance industry with our

members via the website and/or email blast.

More information will be forthcoming on how to submit and receive information regarding job openings. Stay tuned!

C O M I N G S O O N C O M I N G S O O N C O M I N G S O O N