Piper Sandler has hired Joe Kinder and Brent Blevins as managing directors on its public finance team. Both will focus on Missouri school districts and governmental issuers and will co-head the Missouri public finance business for the investment bank.
They both previously were managing directors at Stifel.
"The K-12 sector is a meaningful part of our public finance franchise and Missouri is one of our priorities as we focus on growing the business," Dustin Avey, co-head of public finance at Piper Sandler, told The Bond Buyer.
"We are a market leader in the Midwest and the addition of Joe and Brent is a natural fit that complements our existing Missouri practice," he said. "Our K-12 teams consist of high integrity professionals with a strong commitment to delivering solutions and results to clients. Joe and Brent's approach to the business aligns with this commitment."
Kinder is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he received his bachelor's degree, and The University of Missouri, where he earned his J.D. He worked for Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP as a contract attorney before launching his public finance career at George K Baum.
Over the past 17 years, he worked closely with Missouri school districts and other governmental issuers on everything from bond elections and issuance to budget management.
"Joe has spent his career focused on public finance and has established himself as a thought leader for Missouri school clients," said Avey. "I admire his leadership, attention to detail and tireless work ethic. He is a first-class professional who cares about serving clients."
Blevins knows the Missouri education sector well, having started his career as a teacher and coach for several school districts, later becoming superintendent for the Forsyth R-III School District and deputy superintendent and acting superintendent for the Lee's Summit School District from 2014 to 2017.
In 2017, he moved to the finance side of the business, where he helped school districts craft financial plans and issue debt, first for George K. Baum, then for Stifel
He earned a doctorate in education administration from Lindenwood University.
"Brent's extensive experience and 21 years of service to public education as a superintendent, administrator, teacher, and coach, provides him with a special ability to relate to clients and understand their needs," Avey told The Bond Buyer. "He is a natural leader who is focused on creating positive outcomes for clients."
The new hires' former firm, Stifel, was top muni underwriter in Missouri in the first half of 2024, credited by LSEG with $859.8 million of business. Piper Sandler topped the financial advisor rank in the state, credited with $315.6 million.
