Public Finance Personnel
Michael A. Boisvert, Senior Vice President
Holly Barstow Wiemken, Vice President
Helena Burke-Bevan , Vice President
E. Timothy King, CPA, Vice President
Kristyn Harrell, Vice President
Amy Movitz, Assistant Vice President
Ann Koch, Assistant Vice President
Lindsay S. Wall, Associate
M. Todd McDonald, Associate
James N. Rachlin, Senior Vice President and Manager
Telephone: (312) 441-2601
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: jnrachlin@gkst.com
Mr. Rachlin heads GKST's Public Finance Department and covers municipal issuers throughout the Midwest with an emphasis on local Illinois municipalities. Since joining GKST in May 1996, Jamie has provided structuring advice to school districts, municipalities, park districts and library districts whose bond issues range in size from $125,000 to $125 million. These municipalities’ needs range from simple general obligation financings to complex revenue-backed structures. Jamie has also worked with taxing districts seeking to pass referenda, explaining financing costs to the public and working with referendum committees to generate the positive support required for referendum passage. His approach to clients' bond issues stresses the comprehensive handling of the transaction with minimal disruption to the client’s routine. Openness, availability and a willingness to work with the client are hallmarks of his success and the foundation of GKST Public Finance. He has been in the industry for thirteen years and has been involved in over $8 billion of negotiated tax-exempt financings.
Prior to joining GKST, Jamie was head of Public Finance in Chicago for Prudential Securities Incorporated. He has served as senior banker to numerous issuers throughout the country, including states and state authorities, cities, counties, school districts, water systems, solid waste authorities and airport authorities. He has also served as a financial advisor to developers in the alternative energy field structuring and financing projects with publicly and privately placed tax-exempt debt while working for The DJS Group. Mr. Rachlin holds an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Princeton University and an A.B. in Computer Science from Brown University.
Back
Michael A. Boisvert, Senior Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2602
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: maboisvert@gkst.com
Mr. Boisvert has been a public finance banker since 1989, working in higher education, municipal and health care finance. He joined GKST in 1996 and founded the firm’s Higher Education and 501 c(3) Group. Since that time he has executed over 100 transactions, ranging in size from $750,000 to $76 million. He has also served as financial advisor to the State of Illinois on debt refinancings and escrow restructurings exceeding $1 billion in par amount.
As head of the Higher Education and 501c(3) group, Mr. Boisvert has structured transactions for a diverse group of clients including private colleges, public universities and community colleges, private K-12 schools, YMCA’s, art centers, hospitals, developmental disability agencies and other social service organizations. Among his clients are Northern Illinois University, Anderson University, Trinity International University, Lewis University, Illinois College, Aquinas College, Green Mountain College, Wartburg College, Waldorf College, Central College, Iowa Wesleyan College, Simpson College, York College, Loyola Academy, Northridge Preparatory School and the Willows Academy, Christian Heritage Academy, Antelope Valley Christian School, Newman Catholic School, Hales Franciscan School, Henry County Hospital and Victor C. Neumann Association.
The form and structure of these transactions have been remarkably diverse. The financings have included both new money and refinancing elements, fixed and variable rate modes, rated and non-rated security structures, public issues and private placements. Mr. Boisvert has particular expertise in bringing first-time issuers, small borrowers and faith-based institutions to the capital markets. He has also assisted clients involved in bank debt workout situations in restructuring their debt.
Prior to joining GKST Mr. Boisvert was a Vice President in the Public Finance Department of First Chicago Capital Markets. Before that he worked in the public and non-profit sectors. He has served as executive assistant to the Governor of Nevada where he advised on economic development and housing issues. Prior to that he served as the campus planner for the Cranbrook Educational Community in Michigan. He is a graduate of the College of the University of Chicago where he received an A.B. in Public Affairs. He also has a Master in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He also holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School.
Mr. Boisvert is active in a number of voluntary boards and activities and currently serves as Chair of the Finance Committee for All Saints Catholic Academy in Naperville. He is also active in the mentoring program of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Oak Leyden Developmental Services and a past Vice Chairman of the Board of Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago.
Back
Holly Barstow Wiemken, Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2604
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: hbwiemken@gkst.com
Ms. Wiemken is responsible for structuring bond issues and executing transactions. She has been a member of GKST's Chicago Public Finance Department for the past seven years. Ms. Wiemken has worked with numerous universities, 501(c)3s, school districts and municipalities including Northern Illinois University (IL), Wartburg College (IA), York College (NE), Waldorf College (IA), Trinity International University (IL), Anderson University (IN), Bremen Community High School District 228 (IL), Forest Ridge School District 142 (IL), Village of Bedford Park (IL) and Aquinas College (MI).
Ms. Wiemken holds an M.P.A. in Public Finance from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Syracuse University. In addition, she holds her Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.
Back
Helena Burke-Bevan , Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2609
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: mhburke-bevan@gkst.com
Ms. Burke-Bevan has over 20 years experience working at and with non-profit organizations in the Chicago area. Helena joined Griffin, Kubik, Stephens and Thompson, Inc. in June 2004 and focuses primarily on smaller institutions with limited resources – social service organizations, private schools, small colleges, cultural organizations and federally qualified health care centers. Among her clients are Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center and Opportunity, Inc.
She started her career as Assistant Director of Financial Planning at the Art Institute of Chicago and spent a number of years as Director of Finance for both Music of the Baroque and the Music Institute of Chicago. In 2000, Helena joined the commercial banking department at Uptown National Bank (now Bridgeview Bank Group) where she managed the bank’s not-for-profit portfolio.
Ms. Burke-Bevan has been a civic leader in Chicago for many years. She is currently the Chairman of the Board for Victor C. Neumann Association and sits on the finance committee for St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church. She has previously served on a number of other non-profit boards in the Chicago area including Ravenswood Industrial Council, Black Ensemble Theater, Edgewater Development Corporation, St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church and the League of Chicago Theaters.
Helena received a B.S. degree from Barat College and holds a Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.
Back
E. Timothy King, Vice President, CPA
PO Box 21
Monticello, IL 61856
Telephone: (217) 762-GKST (4578)
Email: tim.king@gkst.com
Mr. King serves GKST’s expanding client base in central and southern Illinois from the firm’s newest location in Monticello. Since joining GKST in May 2005 he has worked primarily with schools and other municipalities issuing both tax and revenue based debt. Clients have come to rely on Tim’s creative approach to their unique individual financing needs as well as his strong attention to every detail of each issue.
Tim brings an extensive knowledge of accounting and finance both as a CPA and from over 20 years of experience in a variety of finance and marketing management positions. He graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois and maintains Series 7, 53, and 63 securities licenses. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, and the Monticello Rotary.
Having been raised on a central Illinois dairy farm, Tim especially enjoys serving the needs of the rural districts throughout the state. Tim, his wife Kim and their 7 children are well known throughout central and southern Illinois for their bluegrass/gospel performances at community festivals and churches, and are active in their local church and community organizations.
Back
Kristyn Harrell, Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2607
Fascimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: kristyn.harrell@gkst.com
Ms. Harrell joined GKST’s Higher Education and 501(c)(3) Group in March 2007. She has 10 years of public finance experience with a primary focus on 501(c)(3) education, cultural and social service institutions.
Ms. Harrell has worked with a variety of colleges, universities, cultural institutions, private schools and other not-for-profits. She has extensive experience advising not-for-profit clients on various financing strategies such as debt structuring alternatives, refunding of existing debt, debt capacity analysis, credit enhancement, and use of derivatives.
Prior to joining GKST, Ms. Harrell worked as a Vice President in Public Finance at LaSalle Financial Services and at J.P. Morgan Securities (and its predecessors Banc One Capital Markets, Inc. and First Chicago Capital Markets). Additionally, Ms. Harrell worked for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs as the Director of Finance and Administration for the Gallery 37 Program. Ms. Harrell has a Bachelor’s degree in French and International Studies from Washington University and a Masters of Public Affairs with an area of concentration in Public Finance from Indiana University.
Back
Amy Movitz, Assistant Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2606
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: asmovitz@gkst.com
Ms. Movitz joined GKST in 2001. She is responsible for structuring bond issues and coordinating the execution of transactions. Her experience in the municipal market includes analytic support, refunding analyses and debt and levy structuring for municipalities, school districts and private schools and universities. In addition, she spent five years as a corporate trustee administering revenue bond transactions. Ms. Movitz received her BA from Millikin University and her MBA from Loyola University. She holds her Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.
Back
Ann Koch, Assistant Vice President
Telephone: (312) 441-2608
Facsimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: ackoch@gkst.com
Ms. Koch has been actively involved in public finance for over five years and has been a part of the Public Finance Department at GKST since July 2003. Ms. Koch is responsible for structuring bond issues and coordinating the execution of transactions, as well as providing analytical and quantitative support for general obligation and revenue backed financings. Ms. Koch has worked with a variety of public and private entities throughout the Midwest. Ms. Koch received her BA from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds her Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.
Back
Lindsay M. Wall, Associate
Telephone: (312) 441-2605
Fascimile: (312) 441-2667
Email: lmwall@gkst.com
Ms. Wall joined the Public Finance department of GKST in April 2006 and is responsible for providing analytical assistance and quantitative support in structuring bond issues and completing transactions. She is active in the not-for-profit community in Chicago and currently sits on the governing board of Princeton Project 55, Inc. Ms. Wall holds an M.P.P in Public Finance from the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a B.A. from Princeton University. She holds her Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.
Back
M. Todd McDonald, Associate
PO Box 21
Monticello, IL 61856
Telephone: (217) 762-4579
Email: todd.mcdonald@gkst.com
Mr. McDonald is our newest public finance associate in Monticello serving GKST’s expanding client base in central and southern Illinois. Todd is a University of Illinois graduate and has over 10 years of successful marketing and management experience to assist in serving GKST clients. Todd and his family are life-long Monticello residents and are active in numerous church and community activities. He holds Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.Mr. McDonald is our newest public finance associate in Monticello serving GKST’s expanding client base in central and southern Illinois. Todd is a University of Illinois graduate and has over 10 years of successful marketing and management experience to assist in serving GKST clients. Todd and his family are life-long Monticello residents and are active in numerous church and community activities. He holds Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.
Back