CHICAGO – Chicago's public finance community was stunned to learn of the sudden death over the holidays of veteran municipal market professional Adrienne J. Archia, whose three decade career spanned work as a banker, financial advisor, and issuer official. She was 53.
Archia, a banker at Rice Financial Products Co., was hospitalized after suffering cardiac arrest and did not recover. She died Dec. 29.
"My colleagues and I were shocked and saddened by the news of Adrienne's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family," said Rice's chief executive officer, Don Rice.
"She was unquestionably a strong and valuable presence at our firm, as she was for decades in the city of Chicago public finance community," Rice said. "We will all miss her."
Archia, a longtime resident of the city's South Side, was a Milwaukee native who later moved to Madison and landed in Chicago after college to launch her career at the former First Chicago.
Archia enjoyed close ties with most local borrowers, including Chicago and its sister issuers and Cook County, that she developed over her 30-year career.
Archia also has long served as a member of the Civic Federation of Chicago board of directors.
Archia re-joined Rice last year.
She had previously worked as a banker there but left in 2010. Archia also previously worked as a financial advisor with Ehlers & Associates.
Earlier in her career, she served as an assistant to Chicago's chief financial officer and later as chief financial officer of the Chicago Housing Authority.
She also has held banking positions at Blaylock Beal Van LLC, the former First Albany Capital, the former RBC Dain Rauscher, and Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. LLC.
Friends described her as a lover of all things aquatic. She was a trained scuba diver and avid swimmer.
Services are private but the family is planning a memorial and gathering for later in the year.
Archia is survived by her husband, Robert Brayne, son Christopher Earl, daughter Natalie, and two sisters, Karen and Stephanie.
