Financial Advisory

In 2009, First Tryon Securities, LLC established First Tryon Advisors, a full service financial advisory practice. The practice provides independent financial advisory services as well as on-going expertise to issuers regarding debt management and other financial management needs. The focus of the practice is General Government, Health Care, Senior Living, and Higher Education in the Southeast region. Our Financial Advisory team has advised or been hired to advise on multiple transactions in North Carolina to date.

First Tryon Advisors is under the direction of Richard Marvin, Managing Director. Chris Alexander, Vice President and Lauren Henretta, Analyst also provide Financial Advisory services to our clients. The professionals at First Tryon Advisors bring together a wealth of experience and knowledge in Public Finance banking and financial advisory assistance. Richard Marvin joined First Tryon Securities in November, 2009 from Wells Fargo/Wachovia where he was the Manager and Senior Banker for the public finance healthcare practice. He also has extensive experience in the governmental and higher education sectors over the previous 22+ years. Chris Alexander joined First Tryon Securities in September of 2008. Previously, he was with BB&T as a Vice President in Governmental Finance where he structured new money financings and debt refunding opportunities in addition to managing the bank’s credit portfolio of municipal securities. Mr. Alexander has extensive experience in all aspects of tax-exempt and taxable municipal lending in terms of both competitive and negotiated publicly issued and privately placed debt securities.

First Tryon Advisors is able to leverage the strong secondary trading and sales activities of First Tryon Securities, LLC to provide in depth market intelligence. At First Tryon Advisors, we know that your position does not revolve solely around the issuance and refunding of debt. Therefore our value proposition to you is our experience and knowledge of the marketplace. We are committed to providing financing strategies that result in the lowest available cost of funds, appropriate risk parameters, and operations flexibility. Therefore we are not tied to any one particular corporation or product and have no conflict of interest with regards to your capital structure. Furthermore, our number one priority is our clients need to most cost effectively access the capital market. We welcome the opportunity to provide additional information on our advisory services.

Manager: Richard M. Marvin

Mr. Marvin joined First Tryon Securities, LLC (First Tryon Advisors) in November, 2009. Previously he was a Managing Director at Wells Fargo/Wachovia where he was the Manager and Senior Banker in the public finance healthcare practice. He was a Managing Director at AG Edwards and was a senior banker providing public finance services to healthcare, governmental and higher education issuers in the South East, before the merger with Wachovia in 2007. Prior to his position at AG Edwards, he was a Managing Director and Manager of the Public Finance Group at Legg Mason Securities. At Legg Mason Mr. Marvin managed the public finance group for the firm and provided investment banking services for his clients in the southeast. Mr. Marvin began his public finance career at Wachovia Bank and managed the public finance effort there for 13 years.

Mr. Marvin also served as City Manager of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Assistant City Manager of West Palm Beach Florida, and Village Manager of Streamwood, Illinois. He worked in several staff positions in Arlington, Virginia, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Carolina before he became a City Manager.

He has a BA Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill with honors in Economics, and an MPA from American University in Urban Affairs. He is registered as a General Securities Representative and Agent (Series 7 and 63), and a Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53).

Christopher J. Alexander, Vice President

Mr. Alexander joined First Tryon Securities, LLC (First Tryon Advisors) in September 2008. Previously he was a Vice President at BB&T Governmental Finance where he structured new money financings and debt refunding opportunities in addition to managing the bank’s credit portfolio of municipal securities. Mr. Alexander has extensive experience in all aspects of tax-exempt and taxable municipal lending in terms of both competitive and negotiated publicly issued and privately placed debt securities.

Mr. Alexander previously worked as an associate at BB&T Capital Markets in the Public Finance Department where he provided investment banking and financial advisory support for Industrial Development Bonds, municipalities, and higher education institutions. Additionally he provided analytical support in structured financings and is proficient in a variety of sophisticated software applications including DBC Finance and Refund, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Excel Modeling.

He has a BBA in Finance from St. Bonaventure University in addition to a degree in Mathematics. He is a registered as a General Securities Representative (Series 7) and an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 66).

Bryan Kern, Vice President

Mr. Kern joined First Tryon Advisors in March 2010.  Previously he was a Vice President at Wachovia, in charge of the Bank's Southeast Municipal and Higher Education derivatives practices within Public Finance. Mr. Kern has over ten years experience with municipal financing solutions, interest rate derivatives, and the reinvestment of bond proceeds.

Prior to Mr. Kern's experience in Public Finance, he held positions within Wachovia's foreign exchange and corporate interest rate derivatives desks.  He was primarily responsible for providing tailored hedging solutions to the Bank's corporate and international clients.

He has a BS in Mathematics from Davidson College and is a registered representative with Series 7 and 63 licensure.