Raymond James expands Midwest presence hiring four Public Finance professionals
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James is expanding the capabilities of its Public Finance division in Illinois and throughout the Midwest with the hiring of four tenured professionals. Dalena Welkomer and Stephan Roberts are joining the firm as managing directors, Amy Young as director and Adam Holstine as vice president. This team brings over 85 years of collective public finance experience to Raymond James. They will primarily serve local municipalities, special districts and education issuers. With these hires, Raymond James is establishing a Public Finance office in Naperville to complement the existing office in Chicago.
“This is a first-class team with deep expertise in public finance and a proven track record of success delivering strategic financing solutions to clients,” said Gavin Murrey, executive vice president and head of Public Finance/Debt Investment Banking. “The addition of this highly regarded group is the perfect complement to our Illinois practice led by Elizabeth Hennessy and strengthens our commitment to offering exceptional client service to our Midwestern clients.”
“I’m honored to join Raymond James’ accomplished Public Finance team and help grow the firm’s footprint across Illinois,” said Welkomer. “With its respected reputation, robust distribution network and strong underwriting capabilities, Raymond James is well-positioned to deliver exceptional value to our clients throughout the state and region.”
Welkomer and Roberts join Raymond James after 21 and 27 years with Baird, respectively. They will continue their collaborative efforts to serve a broad range of municipal and special district clients across Illinois, including cities, villages, counties, transportation issuers and districts, such as parks, libraries and fire protection. Roberts will also broaden Raymond James’ coverage of local governments in Michigan and Iowa.
“The team remains committed to providing superlative, comprehensive services to our clients,” said Roberts. “We are steadfast in our continued dedication to the client whose needs always come first.”
Young joins Roberts in the Chicago office after 27 years at Baird. She has extensive experience with multiple client types, including state and municipal governments, economic development, education, healthcare, housing, non-profits, transportation, water and utility issues. Her main sector focus over recent years has been higher education (both public and private) and non-profit organizations in the Midwest.
Holstine has 10 years of public finance experience at Baird. Over the last decade, he has provided analytical and banking support to the team’s clients. He joins Welkomer in Naperville.
Consistently ranked as a top five underwriter of municipal bonds nationally, according to Bloomberg,* Raymond James has one of the largest public finance practices in the country with approximately 180 professionals in now 40 locations nationwide and is searching for additional talented bankers to continue expanding the practice. The firm offers municipal issuers a comprehensive distribution platform and one of the largest middle market sales forces of any US broker/dealer. Additional information is available at rjpublicfinance.com.
*Rankings based on total number of issues. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
About Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. Total client assets are $1.69 trillion. Public since 1983, the firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.