Treasurer Damschen Moderates 2016 NAST Annual Conference Session on Investments in Infrastructure

SALT LAKE CITY – September 13, 2016 –Utah State Treasurer David Damschen today moderated a plenary session at the 2016 National Association of State Treasurers Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington.  The panel, entitled “Investments in Infrastructure: How Differing Financing Mechanisms Can Help Ensure Steady Cash Flows,” focused on how the private and public sectors can work together to fund critical infrastructure.  Experts from both sectors explored new and innovative funding ideas as well as public-private partnerships, direct appropriates and municipal bond issuances.

“Many state treasurers bear responsibility for pension and other long-term investments as well as for financing public infrastructure with tax-exempt municipal bonds, so this was an extremely interesting 360 degree conversation,” said Treasurer Damschen.  “Market conditions are prompting many institutional investors to re-visit infrastructure as an asset class, and on the flip side of the coin, there’s a growing need to fund critical infrastructure around the U.S.  It was interesting to hear what’s working in other countries.”

Members of the panel included Mike Parker, U.S. Infrastructure Advisory Leader, Ernst & Young LLP; Darin Turner, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, Invesco; and Diana Will, Senior Investment Officer, Washington State Investment Board. The NAST Annual Conference provides a combination of nationally recognized speakers, timely policy discussions, valuable networking opportunities and the sharing of best practices in the treasury industry, along with focus on annual association business.  Issues highlighted at the conference included national and state infrastructure financing, changing financial markets and investing trends.

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