Mark Li

Vice President

Mark joined KNN Public Finance in 2004 and he currently serves our county, county-wide special district clients, and the State Public Works Board for the State of California (CA SPWB). In addition to managing all aspects of the debt issuance process, Mark also specializes in pre-transaction financial analysis and bond structuring. Mark’s debt issuance and bond structuring experience includes negotiated and competitive public offerings of certificates of participation, lease revenue bonds, sales tax revenue bonds, tax allocation bonds, pension obligation bonds, solid waste revenue bonds, tobacco settlement asset backed bonds, tax and revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) and refunding bonds. His recent transactions include supporting several lease revenue bond offerings for the CA SPWB, sales tax revenue bonds for Sonoma County Transportation Authority and refunding revenue certificates of participation for Kern County solid waste system improvements. In addition to public offerings, Mark also provides financial advisory services for private placements of debt. These services include determining appropriate interest rates, negotiations of terms, drafting of documents and financial analysis. Transactions include a lease agreement for the Sonoma County Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Project, sales tax revenue bonds for Madera County Transportation Commission and taxable pension obligation adjustable rate refunding bonds for Kern County.Mark specializes in developing cash-flow models, financial projections, debt capacity analyses and strategic plans. For several clients dependent on specific revenue streams for capital projects, Mark has developed comprehensive dynamic cash-flow forecasting models. These models and associated analysis are utilized for capital planning, determining the timing and structure of future financings and assessing debt capacity. Recent work includes strategic planning and cash flow models for Sonoma County Transportation Authority, Madera County Transportation Commission and Sonoma County Water Agency. Mark’s research and quantitative skills are also utilized for feasibility studies, debt capacity reviews, debt policies, cost-benefit analysis, asset divestitures and rating agency strategies. Mark has recently developed feasibility studies for the Sonoma County Energy Independent Program (a property assessed clean energy program), the Riverside County hospital projects and the Santa Clara County fuel cell procurement. In addition, Mark’s work includes a debt capacity review, master refunding analysis and debt policy for Sonoma County. Moreover, Mark has assisted San Francisco County Transportation Authority with managing the short-term ratings on their CP program as well as their long-term “shadow” ratings. Prior to joining KNN, Mark served as an investment banking Vice President for Salomon Smith Barney. His work included debt, equity, and mergers and acquisitions in a broad array of industries. In addition, as a Financial Analyst at Ogden Projects, he worked on several municipal waste-to-energy, independent energy and landfill projects. Mark earned an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. Mark is registered as a municipal securities principal.