Conference Agenda
Monday, November 10, 2008
7:30 AM - 5:15 PM
Registration Open
Sponsored by:
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast in the Exhibit Area
Sponsored by:
9:00 AM
Chairs' Welcome
Mike Stanton
Publisher
The Bond Buyer
David Narefsky
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP
Charles T. Forrest
Senior Vice President
Stern Brothers & Co.
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Project Finance and Housing
The overextended housing market has cast ripples across the entire US economical and financial system, threatening everything from massive financial institutions to local communities that are overrun with foreclosures. In response, Congress passed a $300 billion housing rescue bill aimed at helping troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure and supporting mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In late August, the government took it one step further and assumed control of the mortgage giants. How does this affect you going forward? Will it create new opportunities for bond financings and protect local budgets that have been hard hit by property tax shortfalls? Does it create any barriers to your business?
Moderator:
Terrence Finn
President & CEO
Stern Brothers & Co.
Robert D. Labes
Partner
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
Joseph O'Keefe
VP, Investment Banking
Butler Wick & Co., Inc.
Barbara Watkins
Assistant General Counsel
FHLB of Chicago
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
State of the States Roundtable
Facilitator:
Eric Rockhold
Managing Director
JP Morgan
John Filan
Budget Director
State of Illinois
Frank Hoadley
Public Finance Director
State of Wisconsin
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by:
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Redevelopment and the Impact of the Economy on the Midwest
Given the current Midwest economic environment, what's ahead for the manufacturing sector? How do we maintain our base in a challenging financial environment? How will we finance new opportunities? What are successful states doing to encourage development? How are successful redevelopment agencies attracting new investment and economic activity within their communities?
Jim Snyder
Partner
Ice Miller LLP
Christopher Chung
President & CEO
Missouri Partnership
Brad Lybrook
Project Manager
PGAV Urban Consulting
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Luncheon with Address
Sponsored by:
Don Harmon (D)
Senator
State of Illinois
2:05 PM - 3:00 PM
The Municipal Economics of Alternative Energy
The Midwest is ground zero for the national debate over the future of energy policy. The region is the nation's leading producer of ethanol, it is home to innovative solar and wind projects ... and it is host to a large number of coal plants, with more on the drawing boards. Will the nation's increasing sensitivity to greenhouse gases and foreign oil lead to a fundamental change in the energy mix? Will the Midwest's concentration of farmland and vehicle makers translate into a leading role in bio-fuel production? How great a role will municipal projects play?
Moderator:
Mark Widener
Managing Director
Merrill Lynch & Co.
Peter Murphy
Director
Standard & Poor's
Tod McGreevy
Senior Principal
Muse, Stancil & Co.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Municipalities Going Green
Helen J. Kessler
President
HJKessler Associates Inc.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
OPEBs and the CTA
The Chicago Transit Authority is preparing its issuance of $2 billion taxable pension related bonds. The deal comes in two parts; one to fund a permanent trust to cover OPEBs for retirees' health care and the other to increase the funded ratio of the CTA's pension fund to 80%. Will this solve the problem? Is there sufficient capital to get strong pricing?
Moderator:
Omar Daghestani
Senior Vice President
Barclays Capital
Ted Damutz
VP/Senior Credit Officer
Moody's Investors Service
Lois Scott
President
Scott Balice Securities
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Afternoon Break & Networking
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
P3: Public Private Partnerships - The Effect on Infrastructure and Lessons Learned
State and local governments are finding innovative alternatives to finance infrastructure needs. They are establishing innovative pilot programs and public-private partnerships at all governmental levels, and trailblazing the way to a future of broader, more stable funding sources. Given today's economy, is this a practical step? How does the evolving market landscape impact the attractiveness of these deals vs. traditional tax exempt financing? What does the track record for recently privatized projects look like?
Moderator:
David Narefsky
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP
Lisa Schrader
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
City of Chicago
Joe Seliga
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP
5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
Welcoming Cocktail Reception
Sponsored by:
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Registration Open
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Continental Breakfast in the Exhibit Area
Sponsored by:
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Post Election Update
The fall elections brought the country a new president and his administration as well as another round of fresh leadership into the executive offices and legislatures of states across the region - new voices that are continuing to advocate innovative approaches for tackling fiscal needs. Hear from the principals about what's worked and what new initiatives are on tap for the rest of this year.
David Greising
Columnist/Chief Business Correspondent
The Chicago Tribune
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
The Changing Landscape of Municipal Credit
The past 12 months have witnessed unprecedented changes in the credit landscape in the municipal bond market. Bond insurer downgrades have dramatically changed buyer demand in the primary and secondary market. Short-term rates have been extremely volatile, bank credit quality is deteriorating and letters of credit are both more expensive and harder to obtain. At the same time, rating agency changes are expected to drive wholesale upgrades of tax-backed and essential purpose revenue bond ratings. How can issuers and investors navigate in this turbulent market? How has the market's perception of municipal credit quality impacted market access and spreads?
Moderator:
Brian Tournier
Director of Credit Analysis
Stern Brothers & Co.
Phil Culpepper
Director of Debt Management, OMB
State of Illinois
Steve Halvorsen
Vice President & Relationship Credit Manager
US Bank
Melanie Shaker
Director
FitchRatings
Thomas Stoeckmann
Wells Capital Management
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Student Loans
When the subprime debacle shattered the market, not many looked down the road to the hundreds of millions of student loans that are underwritten yearly. The government stepped in with a bail-out program to enable our colleges and universities to keep their doors open this fall. Has the student loan crisis effectively been averted? How are our community colleges, technical institutes and state universities coping?
Moderator:
John Trahan
Managing Director
Assured Guaranty Corp.
William Corbin
Partner
Perkins Cole LLP
John Sinsheimer
Chief Financial Officer
Illinois Student Assistance Commission