Conference Co-Chairs
Charles Forrest
Senior Vice President
Stern Brothers & Co.
Mr. Forrest joined the St. Louis office of Stern Brothers & Co. in 2007 after retiring from A.G. Edwards & Sons where he was a senior investment banker, headed the national public finance practice and managed the fixed income trading department.
David Narefsky
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP
David Narefsky, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP, has an extensive practice in public-private partnerships in the Midwest and throughout the United States, specifically the following PPP transactions: Chicago Skyway, Chicago-Midway Airport, Chicago Downtown Parking System and Northwest Parkway Toll Road, with particular responsibility for governmental and regulatory aspects. He is part of the team recently engaged by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to advise on options with respect to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Featured Speakers
Christopher Chung
President & CEO
Missouri Partnership
In November 2007, Christopher Chung joined the newly formed Missouri Partnership as the public-private non-profit’s first Chief Executive Officer. In this capacity, Chris will direct business recruitment and marketing efforts for the State of Missouri, with a population of 5.8 million and a diverse economy of more than $226 billion annually in the agribusiness, defense, automotive, financial services, information technology, logistics, and energy sectors. The Missouri Partnership, in close collaboration with the Missouri Department of Economic Development and regional and local economic development organizations around the state, strives to spearhead Missouri’s global efforts to attract new industry, jobs, and prosperity to the state’s communities.
Edward (Ted) Damutz
VP/Senior Credit Officer
Moody's Investors Service
Ted is a Team Leader of the Midwest region and the co-manager of the Chicago Office. He is responsible for overseeing public finance credit issues in North Central portion of the United States and serves as lead local government analyst of Illinois. Ted first joined Moody's in early 1998, covering the Great Lakes region and handled a diverse portfolio of credits until mid 2001.
Don Harmon
Senator
State of Illinois
As a practicing lawyer specializing in municipal law and public finance, Harmon has worked to create public-private partnerships to build hospitals, schools, and factories that provide jobs and services in our community. All together, Harmon has helped arrange financings to invest nearly $3 billion in our community.
Joseph O’Keefe
VP, Investment Banking
Butler Wick & Co., Inc.
Mr. O’Keefe is an investment banker in the Chicago metropolitan area. He has over twenty-five years of experience in U.S and international public finance as a municipal bond rating analyst. Originally based in New York, Mr. O’Keefe relocated to Chicago in 1994 and was the first municipal analyst based in the Midwest for two bond rating agencies. Mr. O’Keefe is currently an external advisor to the Government Finance Officers Association’s Committee on Debt Management. He also has been on the Smith’s Research All-Star Municipal Team (First Team) as a director of regional ratings for the Midwest.