K-12 Education

Katherine joined the Education Group at RBC Capital Markets in 2016 and is based out of San Francisco. Her primary focus is working with California’s K-12 school districts and community college districts on cash flow and capital project financings. Her underwriting career started in 2008 with De La Rosa & Company (DLR), a boutique California-based underwriter and subsequently joined Stifel, Nicolaus & Company when DLR was acquired in 2014. Prior to serving as an underwriter, Katherine worked as a financial advisor to education issuers at KNN Public Finance. In her career, she has helped K-14 schools bring to market over 300 financing transactions including General Obligation Bonds, Mello-Roos Special Tax Bonds, Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes, Bond Anticipation Notes and Certificates of Participation. She has a degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Katherine carries the FINRA Series 7, 50, 52, 63 and 79 securities licenses.

Christine Pihl has almost 30 years of experience in public finance specializing in public power and utility sector clients. Christine joined RBCCM in 2013.

Ms. Pihl specializes in public power and utility sector clients including having served as lead banker for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for both the Power System and Water System, serving as lead banker for SCPPA for Windy Point, the largest electric power prepay transaction and one of the largest wind farms in the nation, the Intermountain Power Agency for its 2013 financing, California Independent Service Operator for a $192 million refunding in 2013, the Salt River Project, Anaheim Public Utilities, King County Sewer for over $1 billion of transactions, Tacoma Power and the Eugene Water & Electric Board, Grant County PUD, Snohomish PUD, Benton County PUD, Grays Harbor PUD, Franklin PUD and Douglas PUD among others.

In addition to her utility clients, she also has led transitions in the Pacific Northwest for issuers including the Port of Seattle, the State of Washington and the City of Tacoma.

Ms. Pihl relocated to Seattle in 1995. Her prior affiliations include the financial advisory firm, Capital Advisors, Seattle-Northwest Securities and JPMorgan. She began her career in public finance as an analyst for Lehman Brothers in New York.

Ms. Pihl holds the following licenses: Series 7, 24, 52, 53, 63 and 79. Ms. Pihl has a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a M.B.A. from the University of Washington.

Dan O'Connell joined RBC Capital Markets in 2005 and leads RBC’s Colorado K-12 finance team from the Denver office. Dan has nearly 14 years of public finance experience with his main area of expertise being K-12 finance. He uses his expertise and knowledge in school finance and election law to provide creative solutions for capital funding, while minimizing tax-payer impact. Dan acted as lead banker for all of the State of Colorado’s Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program Certificates of Participation. Through 5 years of issuance, the program has invested over $830 million in state and local funds in capital improvements in school districts throughout Colorado. Some of Dan’s clients include:

• Denver Public Schools
• Adams 14 School District
• State of Colorado
• Academy School District
• Douglas County School District
• Poudre School District
• Brighton School District
• Aspen School district

Dan joined RBC Capital Markets in 2005 after five years of municipal finance experience at a competing firm. He graduated with honors from the University of Colorado with a degree in Economics. Dan is a former president of the Colorado Municipal Bond Dealers Association and holds Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

Mr. Cashell is a Managing Director in the Cincinnati, Ohio Municipal Finance office of RBC Capital Markets and manages Public Finance for Ohio.

Mr. Cashell joined RBC Capital Markets in 2002 after serving as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Information Officer for Cincinnati Public Schools. As COO/CIO, Mr. Cashell oversaw all non-instructional areas for the district. Prior to coming to Cincinnati, Mr. Cashell served for nine years in finance, policy and administrative positions in Delaware state government. His last position there was Associate Secretary of Education for Finance, Policy and Administrative Services. In the latter role, Mr. Cashell acted as the Chief Financial Officer for the State Department of Education.

Mr. Cashell specializes in education and local government transactions including tax increment financing (TIF). Mr. Cashell also administers several large structured pooled financing programs in the State of Ohio.

Mr. Cashell currently holds Series 7, Series 63, Series 53, Series 24 and Series 50 licenses. Mr. Cashell holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Economics from the University of Delaware, specializing in mathematical economics and econometrics.

Mr. Boles is a Managing Director in the Dallas Municipal Finance office of RBCCM. He is a Regional Manager, overseeing the operations of our Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Denver Municipal Finance offices. He is also a member of the Firm’s Operating Committee.

Mr. Boles has been with RBCCM since 1991 and has been involved in financings during that period for a variety of issuers. In those 27 years, Mr. Boles has served as an investment banker or financial advisor to virtually every type of tax-exempt issuer, including school districts, counties, cities, public and private universities, community colleges, state agencies, healthcare providers and special districts. Mr. Boles’ experience has included all aspects of refunding and new money transactions in both long and short term modes, including virtually all types of security structures, as well as certain derivative instruments. As a manager, he is responsible for the formation and implementation of strategic initiatives for the firm’s Municipal Finance Group in Texas and Colorado.

Mr. Boles is a Certified Public Accountant and a registered securities representative, currently holding Series 7, 24, 50, 53, and 63 licenses. He previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Municipal Advisory Council of Texas (2011-2015) and as Chairman of the Board (2013-14). Mr. Boles holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Mr. Traylor joined the Firm’s Public Finance group in January 2001. He has extensive experience in providing financial advisory and underwriting services to Texas cities, counties, school districts, hospitals, airports, navigation districts, river authorities, water districts, and a variety of other special districts across the state of Texas. Mr. Traylor’s experience includes all aspects of municipal finance including various types of Unlimited Tax Bonds, Revenue Bonds, General Obligation Bonds, Variable Rate Bonds, Convertible Bonds, Lease/Purchases, Synthetic Financial Products, Advance Refundings, Current Refundings, Debt Restructurings, and Contractual Obligations.

He is a frequent speaker on the subject of Public Finance and Capital Improvements Program structuring and funding, and previously served as a board member for the Municipal Advisory Council of Texas. He is also a regular participating lecturer for the Texas State University’s Certified Public Managers Program.

Mr. Traylor holds a BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Baylor University. He is a NASD Registered General Securities Representative currently holding the Series 7, Series 50, Series 53, Series 63, and Series 79 licenses.

Mr. Burgess is a Director in the Phoenix office of RBCCM. Mr. Burgess has over 24 years of experience structuring Arizona, Utah and intermountain region issuer credits including sales tax and excise tax revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, certificates of participation, lease revenue bonds, lease obligations, bank direct purchase transactions, assessment and tax-increment credits, and grant anticipation notes. Mr. Burgess joined RBCCM in 2018 after 23 years at Wells Fargo Securities, and predecessor firms, where he managed their Phoenix office and general governmental underwriting efforts throughout the State of Arizona for a ten year period. As a lead banker or co-lead banker, he has recently senior managed transactions for the City of Phoenix, City of Glendale, City of Scottsdale, City of Chandler, Arizona Transportation Board, Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, State of Utah, Granite School District, and the Las Vegas Valley Water Authority. Prior to becoming an investment banker, Mr. Burgess worked for Bank of America as a Corporate Trust Administrator in the firm’s Seattle office.

Mr. Burgess graduated with a B.S. in Economics from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A from the Marriott School of Management – BYU.  Mr. Burgess is currently registered with FINRA with Series 7, 50, 52, 53, and 63 securities licenses.