Biographies

Leo V. Valdez | (602) 263-0163
Leo Valdez is a Senior Vice President and the manager for the Phoenix office. He has over twenty years experience in municipal finance in Arizona and the southwest. He has extensive experience in industrial development authority bonds, sales tax (excise tax) revenue bonds, infrastructure finance, school districts, multi-family housing, single-family housing, hospitals, and special needs revenue bonds. Leo has experience with rating agency and insurance company presentations. Prior to working in the investment banking industry, Leo worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. He was a specialist loan officer under the Business & Industry Loan Note Guarantee Program in Washington D.C. and later became the Chief for the program in the State of Arizona. He still implements government programs to assist issuers and companies obtain financing in the form of government loan guarantees and grants. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Business from New Mexico State University and a Master of Science degree in Finance from American University, Washington, D.C. He is a board member of the Arizona Lottery Commission and sits on several charitable board organizations.

Lauro Garcia III | (602) 263-0163
Lauro Garcia is highly experienced in multi-family housing and development financing. He has worked with major issuers in Arizona, California and Colorado including the Arizona Department of Transportation, City of San Jose, Los Angeles County and the State of Arizona. He was responsible for developing the initial private credit enhancement programs for multi-family new construction projects. Prior to joining Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co. in 1996, Lauro was a principal in his own firm, Bancroft, Garcia & Lavell, and a director in public finance for Merrill Lynch. He holds both undergraduate and law degrees from Arizona State University.

Brian J. OConnor | (602) 263-0163
Brian O'Connor has over 20 years experience as a financial advisor and investment banker. During his career he has served as financial advisor to more than 200 issuers in Arizona, New Mexico and California and other western states. Brian has acted as investment banker to various Arizona issuers since 1984. In this capacity he has worked with various issuers to design and implement capital improvement and bond programs, which have enabled his clients to address the needs created by exponential growth in a prudent and timely manner. He is a highly experienced financial analyst and has worked with numerous school districts throughout Arizona. In addition to school districts, experience includes: cities, towns, counties, corporations, municipal property corporations, water and sewer districts and community facilities districts. Brian received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and a Masters of International Management from The American Graduate School of International Management (also known as "Thunderbird") in Glendale, Arizona. He has also completed doctoral level courses at Arizona State University.