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BMAF Climate Change Panel - Webinar
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT
Category: Events

WEBINAR: BMAF Climate Change Panel

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Participants:

Kurt Forsgren, S&P, Managing Director, U.S. Public Finance
Chris Hartshorn, risQ, Chief Commercial Officer
Richard McGuinness, Boston Planning and Development Agency, Deputy Director for Climate Change and Environmental Planning

Please join us for our third panel of 2020 that will address climate change and the impact on the municipal market. Climate change is an ever increasing reality that is already posing challenges for at-risk municipalities. Whether it be larger and stronger hurricanes, more damaging wildfires, droughts, heat waves or floods, the reach of climate change encompasses a large portion of the U.S. What can municipalities due to manage these destructive events and what should analysts be looking at to make informed investment decisions? We have assembled an excellent panel to tackle these questions. Kurt Forsgren will discuss how S&P incorporates climate change into their rating decisions. Chris Hartshorn will present the risQ climate risk model. Finally, Richard McGuinness will discuss steps that the City of Boston is taking to make the city more resilient to the effects of climate change. This should be a very informative panel and we hope that you can join us.

When:
Thursday, June 18, 2020
3:00 – 4:30 PM ET

Cost: Complementary for BMAF and NFMA members in good standing

Click Here to Join

2020 BMAF Board:

President: Dan Barton, Mellon Investments Corp ([email protected])
Vice President: John Murphy, PFM - Munite ([email protected])
Treasurer: Matt Whoriskey, MFS ([email protected])
Past President/NFMA Board of Governors Rep: Nate Harris, Appleton Partners ([email protected])

Speaker Biographies:

Kurt Forsgren is managing director and Sector Leader for Transportation in U.S. Public Finance and is also part of S&P’s Global Sustainable Finance Team. Based in Boston, he works as a primary analyst, chairs credit committees, generates industry research and serves as spokesperson on transportation, climate risks, and environmental, social, governance topics. Beginning in S&P’s Global office in 1992, Kurt’s experience spans Public Finance and Project Finance, encompassing a variety of sectors. Prior to joining the company, Kurt was a transportation consultant at KPMG. Kurt is a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, Boston Municipal Analyst Forum, and Boston Economic Club. Kurt earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Maine and Master of Government Administration degree from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Hartshorn was an early advisor and now Chief Commercial Officer at risQ, directing and driving the company’s entrance and focus on the municipal bond ecosystem. These activities include working with the cohorts of buy-side, sell-side, bond insurance, and issuer advisory firms, as well as with partners including MMA and ICE Data Services. He is also Founder and Partner at Level 11 Analytics, a real estate investment analytics start-up. In addition, he previously directed strategy, product development and delivery as Chief Research Officer of Lux Research, an emerging technology subscription intelligence service to hundreds of the world’s most innovative companies and agencies; and as Chief Technology Officer at Callaghan Innovation, the government agency responsible for catalyzing innovation in New Zealand, including support of the country’s vibrant FinTech and GovTech start-up communities. He brings first-hand experience in developing and growing information services businesses and commercializing multidisciplinary solutions drawing from physical, life and data sciences.

Richard McGuinness is the Deputy Director for Climate Change and Environmental Planning at the Boston Planning and Development Agency. Mr. McGuinness manages and conducts the BPDA’s planning initiatives for neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston with an emphasis on initiatives related to climate change, the environment, waterfront and resilient public infrastructure. The framework for preparing the City of Boston for climate change is established in Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in 50 years, and Climate Ready Boston. Mr. McGuinness leads and manages certain initiatives in Climate Ready Boston including expanding local flood regulation to include future floodplains, revising Boston’s zoning code to support climate ready buildings, and developing resiliency area plans and flood defense overlay districts. Mr. McGuinness is also part of the leadership team that sets the BPDA’s waterfront planning and economic development agenda in support of the city’s larger policy priorities to revitalize Boston’s waterfront, create new job growth and connect the city’s neighborhoods to its Harbor. Apart from his work at the BPDA, Mr. McGuinness represents Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Harbor Region on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council and the Water Transportation Advisory Council. Mr. McGuinness also represents the City of Boston on the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Partnership. Mr. McGuinness received a bachelor’s in Political Science and Urban Policy from the Catholic University of America and has completed graduate coursework at the University of Massachusetts Boston Environmental Science Program.


Contact: Dan Barton - [email protected]