San José finance director joins leadership of national regulatory agency
SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José Director of Finance Julia Harper Cooper was appointed to the board of directors of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board today. Her term will begin on October 1, 2016.
The mission of MRSB is to protect investors, municipal entities, and the public interest by promoting a fair and efficient municipal market, regulating firms that engage in municipal securities and advisory activities, and promoting market transparency.
The MRSB board establishes regulatory policies and oversees the operations of the MSRB. The board has eleven independent public members and ten members from firms regulated by the MSRB, including broker-dealers, banks and municipal advisors.
“Serving on the MRSB is both a great honor and a great responsibility,” said Cooper. “Preserving the integrity of the municipal bond market by regulating its financial professionals is essential so that cities of all sizes can continue to raise capital for future needs.”
As Director of Finance, Cooper is responsible for the oversight of the city’s accounting, treasury, revenue management and purchasing/risk management divisions. She has been with the City of San José for 29 years and has been responsible for the city’s municipal debt issuance and management since 1990.
She has been actively involved in administering a debt portfolio in excess of $5 billion from over 100 different bond issuances, as well as the preparation of the city’s primary market disclosure documents and annual continuing disclosure reporting.
Cooper was a member of the Government Finance Officers Association executive board from 2010 to 2013, and this spring she was recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as “Woman of Influence.” She has a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and a master’s degree from San José State University.
“The new class of board members includes highly experienced and knowledgeable public representatives and municipal securities professionals,” said MSRB Chair Nathaniel Singer. “They join an exceptional new leadership team that will oversee the MSRB’s pursuit of its mission to protect investors, municipal entities, obligated persons and the public interest.”
In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversees the MSRB, approved lengthening the term of service for the MSRB board members to four years from three to provide greater continuity and institutional knowledge while preserving the benefits of a yearly incoming class.
More information from MRSB about its new board appointments can be found here:
www.msrb.org/News-and-Events/Press-Releases/2016/MSRB-Announces-New-Officers-andBoard-Members-for-FY-2017.aspx
About the City of San José
Known as the Capital of Silicon Valley, San José is the nation’s tenth largest city, and the largest city in Northern California, with an ethnically diverse population of more than one million. San José was founded in 1777, once served as the state capital of California, and now encompasses 180 square miles. Facts about San José can be found here: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/780. The City’s website is www.sanjoseca.gov.
About the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board
The mission of MRSB is to protect investors, municipal entities, and the public interest by promoting a fair and efficient municipal market, regulating firms that engage in municipal securities and advisory activities, and promoting market transparency. With oversight by the Securities Exchange Commission, the MRSB board establishes regulatory policies and oversees the operations of the MSRB. The board has eleven independent public members and ten members from firms regulated by the MSRB, including broker-dealers, banks and municipal advisors. For more information, go to www.msrb.org.
