Board of Directors Biographies

Jason Akers, President

Jason Akers is a Partner in the New Orleans office of Foley & Judell, L.L.P., where he rep- resents local government entities in debt financing and economic development projects. A NABL member since 2001, Jason has served as Chairman of NABL’s Education Committee and was the 2013 Chairman of NABL’s Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law Seminar. In addition to his participation in NABL, he regularly lectures on bond-related topics to various trade groups in Louisiana. Jason is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the South (Sewanee) and the Board of Directors of Friends of First, an
organization dedicated to promoting STEM-related extracurricular activities in public schools. Jason graduated from Millsaps College and the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Matthias M. Edrich, President-Elect

Matthias M. Edrich is a Tax Partner in the Denver office of Kutak Rock LLP. Matthias routinely serves as lead tax attorney in debt issuances for clients ranging from banks, securities dealers and governmental and corporate securities issuers to energy and solid waste recycling companies, manufacturers, hospitals and other healthcare organizations and various types of nonprofits. A particular area of focus includes economic development financings relating to special districts, community improvement districts and community development districts throughout the country. Matthias also advises clients in Internal
Revenue Service audits and private letter ruling and voluntary closing agreement program (VCAP) requests. Matthias received a B.S. from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an M.B.A., J.D. and LL.M in taxation from the University of Denver. He is admitted to practice in the State of Colorado and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and before the U.S. Tax Court. He has served in various roles in several of NABL’s conferences over the past years and has led and coordinated NABL working groups to produce tax and general public finance related comment papers and articles. Matthias grew up in Germany and has served German companies and individuals in business and litigation matters.

Deanna L. S. Gregory, Treasurer

Deanna L. S. Gregory is a Partner at Pacifica Law Group LLP in Seattle, Washington. Deanna serves as bond counsel and disclosure counsel on financings for a variety of public entities, including cities, counties, public utility districts, transit agencies, school districts, universities, special purpose districts and state agencies. She also serves as underwriters’ counsel on various financing matters, and as counsel to Washington governmental agencies on general municipal matters. Deanna is a member of the NABL Steering Committee for the NABL Workshop (2021) and served as Chair of the NABL Institute seminar (2021), as Chair of the NABL Essentials seminar (2016), as Chair of the NABL General Law and Practice Committee (2017-2019), as Chair of the NABL Education Committee (2011-2013), and as a Member of the NABL Board of Directors Nominating Committee (2014, 2019). She is a frequent speaker at NABL conferences and at other national and local seminars, addressing federal securities law, general law and financing, ethics, and revenue options available to local governments. Deanna has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Public Finance Law (2019-2021), selected as a Washington Super Lawyer (2013-2021) and was named to the Top 50 Washington Women Super Lawyers (2014). She received her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Washington.

John W. Hutchinson

John W. Hutchinson (Johnny) is a Partner in the New York City office of Nixon Peabody. He focuses on all aspects of public finance tax. He serves as first-chair tax lawyer on all types of tax-advantaged state and local debt, including governmental financings of all sizes, 501(c)(3) financings for healthcare systems and higher education institutions throughout the country, and private activity bond financings for solid waste disposal and sewage facilities for large utilities and industrial firms. Johnny has unique expertise with governmental bond and private activity bond financings for airport facilities. Johnny has extensive
experience with “post-issuance compliance” for tax-advantaged bonds. He has represented issuers before the IRS in audits of all types of tax-advantaged bonds, and he has considerable experience in representing issuers submitting requests to the IRS Voluntary Closing Agreement Program. Johnny regularly writes for and speaks in front of key industry groups. Johnny has served as chair of NABL’s Tax Law Committee, as a member of the editorial board of the Federal Taxation of Municipal Bonds Deskbook and treatise, and as a participant and chair of numerous panels at NABL’s conferences.

Carol J. McCoog, Immediate Past President

Carol J. McCoog is a Partner in the Portland office of Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP. She has over 20 years of municipal finance experience and currently serves as bond counsel to a wide range of cities, counties, school districts, urban renewal agencies, transit agencies and Oregon state agencies. Carol also serves as underwriters’ counsel on a variety of public financings. She is a past Chair of the Oregon Municipal Debt Advisory Commission. Carol currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) and served as the Chair of NABL’s Securities Law and Disclosure Committee (2013-2016). She served as Chair of NABL’s Tax and Securities Law Institute (TSLI) in March 2016 and Vice Chair of TSLI in March 2015. She is listed in the Public Finance Law section of the Best Lawyers in America and named 2013 Best Lawyers’ Portland, OR Public Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year”. Carol was also recognized in the Portland Business Journal’s 2010 Forty Under 40.

Sarah A. Breitmeyer

Sarah Breitmeyer is a partner in the Taxation Department of Chapman and Cutler LLP. She participated in the firm’s summer associate program in 2006, and joined the firm in 2007. Prior to joining Chapman and Cutler, Sarah worked as a litigation management coordinator for Special Risk Services Group, LLC. 

Sarah provides tax advice related to tax-exempt financings, including new money and refunding financings for the benefit of governmental units, 501(c)(3) organizations and private corporations, and represents governmental issuers, underwriters, investment brokers and borrowers in tax-exempt financing matters. She regularly provides the tax analysis as bond counsel with respect to numerous tax-exempt bond issues for the benefit of 501(c)(3) organizations including colleges and universities, hospitals, museums, cultural institutions and research organizations and has drafted post-issuance tax compliance policies and procedures for numerous 501(c)(3) organizations. Sarah provides advice concerning multipurpose financings, working capital borrowings, tax increment financings, refundings and alternatives to refundings, derivative products, output facilities, post-issuance tax compliance and procedures and defense of IRS audits of tax advantaged obligations. In addition, she has served on comment projects of various industry groups related to working capital financings, management contract guidelines, issue price guidance, legislative proposals and other tax-related matters.

Chris B. Langhart

Chris’s primary practice area is Public Finance and he has served in various capacities for public finance transactions undertaken by state, county and municipal government entities. He has served as bond counsel, trustee’s counsel, underwriter’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, letter of credit bank counsel and disclosure counsel. He has represented the State of New Jersey and various public entities in the State including: the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, the Bergen County Utilities Authority, the Hudson County Improvement Authority, the Bergen County Improvement Authority, the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority, the Housing Authority of the City of Newark and the North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority. Such representation has involved a broad range of transactions including, conduit financings, negotiated and competitive bond and note sales, borrowings through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust and current and advance refundings including forward deliveries. Chris serves as the firm’s “Blue Sky“ counsel and regularly provides advice and opinions relating to both the offer and sale of securities as well as to the registration and reporting requirements for broker-dealers and individual brokers doing business (both directly and indirectly) in the United States and its territories.

Prior to joining McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC, in 2003, Chris was associated with the firm of Hawkins, Delafield & Wood in New York. He has also served as the Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of New Rochelle, NY and as an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Huntington, NY.

Chris received his J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 1992 and his B.A. degree in English from the State University at Albany in 1988.He is admitted to practice law in the states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York State and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Chris is a member of the State Bar Association of New Jersey and is both a member of, and speaker for, the National Association of Bond Lawyers. Chris lectures annually on issues such as arbitrage, refundings, private activity bonds, conduit financings, ethics, securities law and the role of counsel in public transactions.

Chris is a member of the legislative committee of the New Jersey Association of Environmental Authorities and he has served on the Westfield Board of Education and Westfield YMCA Board of Trustees.

Marybeth Orsini

Marybeth Orsini is a Partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, based in the firm’s Baltimore, MD and New York, NY offices. Her practice focuses on advising clients as to the federal tax aspects of tax-favored bond transactions, including for governmental, not-for-profit, and project finance deals. She has also worked as an attorney in the tax-exempt bond branch of the IRS Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Institutions and Products). Marybeth has served as a member of The Workshop
Steering Committee (2015-2017, 2022) and the NABL Nominating Committee (2021). She has also served as Chair of The Institute: Hybrid 2022, as Vice Chair of The Institute: Virtual 2021, and as a panelist at various NABL conferences. Marybeth received her B.S. in Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Jeffery Qualkinbush

Jeff Qualkinbush is a Partner in the Indianapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. During his more than 30 years of practicing in the area of municipal finance, Jeff has worked with a wide variety of state and local issuers as bond counsel, including several financings by the City of Indianapolis and its related entities. He has also served as bank or underwriter’s counsel to local, regional and national financial institutions and investment banks in both governmental purpose and private activity bond transactions. During this time, Jeff has developed extensive experience in both equipment and building lease financings for local governmental entities as well as a specific focus serving as bond counsel to a large number of public school corporations and libraries across the State of Indiana. Since joining NABL in 1993, Jeff has been a regular panelist at many NABL conferences on matters related to public finance and participated in several NABL projects. Jeff’s NABL service has also included, but not been limited to, serving as Chair of The Workshop (Virtual)(2020), Chair of Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law (2017), Member of the Nominating Committee (2015) and Chair of the Education and Member Services Committee (2013-2014). Jeff has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Public Finance Law (2011-2023) and was selected as an Indiana Super Lawyer (2012-2017). He received his J.D. from University of Michigan and his B.A. magna cum laude from Wabash College.

Kareem J. Spratling

Kareem J. Spratling focuses his legal practice primarily in the area of public finance. Mr. Spratling’s public finance experience includes nationwide representation of clients in all roles. He has represented governmental and quasi-governmental entities at all levels, including: the United States of America, the State of Florida, and multiple Florida counties, cities, ports, housing/housing finance authorities, conduit issuers and charter schools. He has also served as counsel and drafted financing documents creating new financing programs for private entities, expressway authorities, counties and conduit borrowers. He is the Immediate Past Chair of the NABL General Law and Practice Committee, and he regularly lectures at NABL’s professional educational seminars. In addition, Mr. Spratling is a member of the Leadership Alliance Advisory Board (LAAB) and prepared its corporate documents and incorporating the LAAB on a pro bono basis. Mr. Spratling received a Juris Doctor degree from The Florida State University College of Law and two Bachelor of Science degrees from The Florida State University.

Sani A. Williams

Sani Williams is a nationally recognized transactional attorney who specializes in capital markets transactions involving infrastructure assets and municipal finance projects across a broad range of sectors and financing structures. He has represented issuers, underwriters, and senior/subordinate lenders in public and project financings and other complex financial transactions aggregating in the tens of billions of dollars across the United States. Sani has significant experience and expertise in financing crucial infrastructure, such as: airport, highway and mass transportation systems; charter schools and colleges/universities, hospitals and healthcare facilities; public housing and public power; not-for-profit-owned cultural facilities; water and wastewater distribution facilities; stadiums, arenas and convention centers; and economic development projects.

Among his career accomplishments, Sani was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel (“ACBC”), which recognizes “lawyers who have established reputations among their peers for their skill, experience and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of bond law.” He is one of only 24 bond lawyers nationwide selected for this honor in 2021.

Sani’s practice portfolio includes longstanding work on financings for such prominent New York State issuers as the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (aka “DASNY”), The City of New York, Empire State Development, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (aka “MTA”), and the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, as well as serving as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel and disclosure counsel in connection with financings in the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In addition to his ACBC affiliation as noted above, Sani has served on various boards and associations over the years. Among his current professional affiliations is the National Association of Securities Professionals, the only trade organization with a primary focus on the representation of minorities and women. Sani has also played a very active role for several years in the National Association of Bond Lawyers (“NABL”), the nation’s leading public finance organization, and he serves as a board member of the Westchester County (NY) Deferred Compensation Board and the Westchester Community College Foundation.

Before joining Bryant Rabbino, Sani served as Of Counsel at the international firm Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP and, prior thereto, Of Counsel at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP/Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, where he specialized in matters of public finance and private equity. He began his public finance practice as an associate at Nixon Peabody LLP.

Sani is admitted to practice in New York State.

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Linda H. Wyman, Chief Operating Officer

Linda Wyman is NABL’s Chief Operating Officer. As COO, she is responsible for managing and overseeing all financial and business planning activities, human resource functions, the education, marketing, communications, and membership programs and the administrative functions of the NABL office. Linda serves as the staff liaison to the Board of Directors and all Board committees as well as the Diversity, Education, Issuer’s and In-House Counsel, and Publications Committees. Prior to joining NABL in 2010, Linda served for ten years as COO at the National Utility Contractors Association. Linda served as Vice President at the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and her B.S. in Business & Finance from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Brian M. Egan, Director of Governmental Affairs

Brian M. Egan is NABL’s Director of Governmental Affairs. Brian leads the organization’s federal advocacy efforts on policy issues relating to public finance. He also staffs NABL’s Securities Law and Disclosure, Tax Law, and General Law and Practice committees. Prior to NABL, Brian served as the policy director for the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) where he helped navigate the group’s federal outreach throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing emergency measures. He also led the State Debt Management Network, a professional organization for the issuers and managers of statewide debt. He also served as the legislative manager for finance policy and intergovernmental relations at the National League of Cities (NLC). Brian is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C.