Topic: Investing in Social Impact: A New Frontier of Muni Analysis

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2023

Times:
In Person: 11:30 - 1:30 pm (lunch and networking prior to program)
Zoom Meeting Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm ET

Locations:
Zoom webinar OR
New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, NYC

Details:

As investors increasingly seek to align their portfolios with their values, social impact analysis is becoming a fundamental component of investment decision making tailored to individual client needs. Munis are not only a source of stability in any portfolio, but an opportunity to drive positive social change in communities across the country. Our panel of experts will discuss the changing landscape of credit analysis to accommodate this growing trend among investors, what matters to investors and analysts, and its effect on the market. We will also consider challenges in addressing social impact investment directives and what this means for the future of munis.

Panelists:

Lourdes Germán
Executive Director
The Public Finance Initiative

Lourdes Germán, J.D., began her career after graduating from Boston College and the Boston University School of Law as a public finance attorney at the law firm Palmer & Dodge LLP (now Locke Lord LLP) and then led investment banking efforts in the Northeast and New York Tri-State region as Vice President of Municipal Finance at Fidelity Investments. She then served as Vice President and General Counsel at Breckinridge Capital Advisors, founded a small financial services start-up, and then served as a Director at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy where she helped launch and lead a global program of work on municipal fiscal health, which included activities in partnership with the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, and engagement with members of congress via the first Congressional Briefing focused on the fiscal health of cities. At Lincoln, Lourdes served on the team of expert advisors for the municipal finance policy unit who developed the frameworks in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Lourdes has also worked with several higher education institutions including,  Boston College, where she served as co-director of the Managing for Social Impact Program and Assistant Professor of Practice, Boston University, and the Northeastern University School of Law. Outside of her role leading the Public Finance Initiative, Lourdes serves on the faculty of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design where she teaches Public Finance.

In addition, Lourdes serves as a senior advisor to several foundations and non-profits, including the Kresge Foundation's Social Investment Practice,  Hyphen Partnerships, and others. She also serves as the appointed chair of the Massachusetts State Finance and Governance Board, and serves on the boards of the Rappaport Center for Law & Policy at BC Law, the board of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and on the board of trustees of Claremont Lincoln University.

Clyde Lane, Jr.
Municipal Credit Analyst
Ramirez Asset Management

Clyde Lane joined Ramirez Asset Management in 2020 as a municipal credit analyst. Prior to joining RAM, Mr. Lane spent 5 years with Wilmington Trust, providing municipal credit analysis as part of Wilmington Trust’s Municipal Fixed Income team. Prior to his role at Wilmington Trust, Mr. Lane spent 6 years with Kelly Capital Management, a registered investment advisory firm in the Philadelphia region, as an equity research analyst. Mr. Lane holds an M.S. in finance, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware. He is a member of the Municipal Analysts’ Group of New York, and a member of the CFA® Society of New York.

Emily Thomas, CFA
Head of Investing with Impact
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Emily is the lead Investing with Impact analyst for the Global Investment Manager Analysis (GIMA) team at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. In this role, she identifies and researches managers across asset classes for Morgan Stanley’s Investing with Impact Platform and serves as a resource to Financial Advisors. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Emily worked at Cambridge Associates where she identified emerging trends, risks, and opportunities across global investment markets. As part of this role, she provided research for and wrote reports on the growth of the sustainable investing field in conjunction with Cambridge’s Mission Related Investing Group.

In 2020, Emily took on an expanded role as a co-leader of the diversity and inclusion efforts within GIMA.

Emily graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A. and received a Masters from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is also a member of CFA Society New York where she is currently the vice-chair of the Sustainable Investing Group.

Moderator:

Timothy Little
Municipal Markets Specialist
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The views expressed by the speaker are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System.

Cost:

MAGNY and other NFMA Members
$55 Zoom
$75 In-Person

Non-Members
$80 Zoom
$100 In-Person

Participants attending in person will receive additional information prior to the meeting about current COVID protocols in place at the NYC Bar Association. As of now, vaccination will not be required and masks are welcome but not required. The room will be significantly below capacity to allow for distancing if preferred. No in-person cancellations within one week of the event although another guest can attend in your place.

Registration: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Questions? Contact [email protected].