Agenda
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Monday, September 14, 2026
11:00 am
Pre-Conference AIAI P3 Bootcamp: Determining Your Project Delivery Options
2 hr
Discover Ballroom
Matt McCleary
AFP/P3 Commercial Director
PLC Construction Services, Inc.
Thomas Mulvihill
Managing Director & Head of Insurance
Keybanc Capital Markets
Matthew Neuringer
Partner
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Yousef Salama
Director of Education
AIAI
David Teed
Managing Partner
Diogenes Capital Company
Identifying what goes into the project-delivery decision-making process for owners is important. With the adoption of new alternative models to accommodate fluctuating market conditions, the number of delivery-model options is growing. This session will engage in a conversation about how legal issues, schedule, finance, cash flow and long-term operations all play into the complex, challenging decision-making process and help identify when certain delivery models are optimal
1:00 pm
Registration Opens
45 min
Grand Ballroom Foyer
1:45 pm
Opening Remarks
10 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
Michael Ballinger
Publisher
The Bond Buyer
Beth Coolidge
Head of Public Finance
Oppenheimer
Young Lee
Partner, Energy & Infrastructure
Orrick
Introductory remarks and welcome from The Bond Buyer and conference co-chairs.
1:55 pm
Keynote Address
30 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
2:30 pm
Washington Policy Changes, Market Dynamics and the Road Ahead for Infrastructure Financing
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Emily Brock
Federal Liaison
GFOA
Taylor Klavan
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig
Alex Wallace
Head of Public Finance
Flagstar
Liberty Ziegahn
Managing Director
Oppenheimer
What regulatory and legislative developments have come out of Capitol Hill and how have they changed the public finance landscape? Where do we see the biggest opportunities? What are the hurdles?
3:20 pm
Networking Break
15 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3
Sponsored by
3:35 pm
Transportation Infrastructure in a Pivotal Year
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Kevin Bueso
Chief Financial Officer
Village of Oak Park, Illinois
Michael Lexton
Principal
Lexton Infrastructure Solutions
Scott Monroe
Senior Director
Fitch Ratings
Liang Shan, CFA
Director
PFM Financial Advisors
As uncertainty over federal funding remains, the status of the highway trust fund and Congress’ willingness to fill the holes in it has moved state and local governments to foot more of the country’s infrastructure bills. What is the industry doing to manage the funding burdens?
4:30 pm
The Hall of Fame Roundtable
1 hr
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
Richard Ciccarone
President Emeritus
Merritt Research Services (an Investortools company)
Gary Hall
Partner and Co-President
Siebert Williams Shank & Co.
Dan Huge
Former Director of Public Finance
State of Indiana
Rick Kolman
Vice Chairman of Public Sector, Infrastructure Financing
Academy Securities
Courtney Shea
Founder (WPF), Board Member (Assured)
Women in Public Finance, Assured Guaranty
We will sit down with members of the Bond Buyer 2026 Hall of Fame to talk about their storied public finance careers. With experience spanning decades, we will take stock of where the industry has been in the past and what, in their view, lies ahead for the public finance industry.
5:30 pm
Cocktail Reception
1 hr
Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3
Sponsored by
6:30 pm
Opening Dinner (Invite Only)
3 hr
Sponsored by
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
8:00 am
Breakfast Briefing Turning the Lights On: Public Finance in the Era of Connected Issuer Data
45 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
Public finance has worked like a flashlight in a dark room — advice and ideas built on partial pictures of an issuer’s finances. As issuers move to a single source of truth, the work changes for every seat at the table. Brendan Mannion, VP of Product at DebtBook and a former public finance banker, explores what proactive service looks like when the lights come on, and how AI compounds on connected data. Includes a first look at DebtBook Capital Markets.
8:15 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast
30 min
Grand Ballroom Foyer
8:45 am
Housing Opportunities
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Michael Babcock
Assistant Director, Capital Markets
Illinois Housing Development Authority
Christopher Hicks
President & CEO
Provident Resources Group
Lorry Palacios
Senior Managing Director
Ramirez & Co., Inc.
Alex Zaman
Executive Director, Head of Surface Transportation Banking and Urban Development
Morgan Stanley
A discussion of market trends and innovative structures helping address the need for housing across the United States. Panelists will explore how the project finance and tax-exempt financing markets are evolving to mobilize capital, accelerate delivery of new housing and support the preservation and revitalization of existing housing for vulnerable and high-need populations.
9:40 am
Power Amid Policy Shifts
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Samadhi Asnes, CFA
Vice President, Energy and Infrastructure Solutions
RBC Capital Markets
Jacob Bissell
Sr. Director of Integrated System Planning
CPS Energy
Chris Jumper
Director
Assured Guaranty
Michael Melzer
Partner
Nixon Peabody
As energy needs and costs skyrocket and federal policy changes complicate how the various grids manage the demand, the public power sector has adapted. Where does nuclear fit into the picture? Renewables? Can the industry handle the much-discussed AI Data Center explosion?
10:30 am
Networking Break
15 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3
Sponsored by
10:45 am
Public-Private Partnership Priorities
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Jessica Andujar-Redman
EVP of Business Development
World Business Chicago
Dr. Morteza Farajian
Executive Director
Build America Bureau
As the current administration pushes for more private capital in US infrastructure, how are issuers planning projects of all sizes with private partners? What types of new opportunities do P3s provide? How can issuers harness the momentum?
11:40 am
How Transit is Faring
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Diana Hamilton
President
Sycamore Advisors
Tom McKone
Chief Financial Officer
Chicago Transit Authority
Peter Scherer
Senior Director, Public Finance
KBRA
Collin Teague
Managing Director
Siebert Williams Shank
Public transit programs are seeing increased pressure from shifts in ridership, remote work, fare avoidance, and outdated facilities. Not to mention shifts in federal funding. How can these agencies thrive in the face of these headwinds?
12:30 pm
Luncheon Fireside Chat
55 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
1:25 pm
Dessert in the Exhibit Hall
20 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3
1:45 pm
How Issuers are Innovating: Infrastructure Financing Tools
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Jacob Blasdel
Executive Director
Indiana Bond Bank
Lisa Eisenberg
Chief of Public Finance
Ohio Treasurer's Office
Ashlee Gabrysch
Chief Financial Officer
City of Chicago
As more of the infrastructure funding falls to state and local governments, our panel of issuers will share viewpoints on how they are faring amid shifting federal policies, increasing costs and where they see opportunities for leading infrastructure investment. How do they see the public finance industry evolving?
2:40 pm
Airport Tailwinds and Headwinds
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Joseph Pezzimenti
Director, Lead Analyst
S&P Global Ratings
Ira Smelkinson
Managing Director
Loop Capital Markets
Fabio Spino
Chief Financial Officer
Columbus Regional Airport Authority
Chris Wimsatt
Chief Financial Officer
Port of Seattle
Amidst a backdrop of sustained demand for air travel, we look at the latest developments shaping the nation’s airports. While credit profiles remain broadly resilient, what specific risks and challenges are beginning to surface within the sector? Has airline consolidation affected.
3:30 pm
Networking Break
15 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 1-3
Sponsored by
3:45 pm
Buy-Side View on Investment Opportunities
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Ronald Banaszek
Executive Director
Blaylock Van
Paul Chatalas
Director of Capital Markets
State of Illinois
Margot Kleinman
Head of Municipal Research & Portfolio Manager
Nuveen
Mark Paris
Chief Investment Officer, Head of Municipals
Invesco
With the nation focused on addressing extensive infrastructure needs, how does the buy-side evaluate the investment landscape and associated risks within U.S. infrastructure? How has the market fared in 2026 despite the volatility? Are there any credit concerns developing? How does the high-yield landscape look? What prospects exist for alternative investment participants? Is there enough demand for another record-breaking issuance year?
4:40 pm
The Water & Wastewater Session – Strategies for Growing Infrastructure Needs
50 min
Grand Ballroom – Salons 4-6
CPE Eligible
Lisa Marie Harris
Director of Finance
San Diego County Water Authority
Steve Lux
Treasurer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
City of Chicago
Jessica Lynch
Director
Baker Tilly
Ryan Patton
AVP – Analyst, Project and Infrastructure Finance
Moody's Investors Service
Water and wastewater programs face a myriad of challenges across the nation. From persistent droughts and catastrophic flooding to critical lead pipe remediation and quality control mandates, how are issuers utilizing SRFs and other essential tools to finance these evolving infrastructure requirements? Now with the lens on water infrastructure after several high-profile cyberattacks, the stakes have risen.
5:30 pm
Cocktail Reception
1 hr 30 min
Explore Ballroom
Sponsored by
7:00 pm
Bond Buyer Hall of Fame & Rising Stars Dinner (Invite Only)
2 hr 30 min