Raymond James continues midwest expansion with addition of two veteran education professionals

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James is continuing to expand its public finance capabilities in the Midwest by hiring former school superintendents Richard Allan Markley, Ed.D., and Michael Reik, Ed.D., both as directors. They will provide expert counsel to K-12 school districts throughout Missouri and Kansas while supporting the general governmental practice. They join a full-service team of banking professionals in the firm’s Kansas City, Missouri, office.

“As two of the most tenured superintendents in Missouri, Allan and Mike have been providing leadership and guidance to the public education system and are viewed as subject matter experts in all aspects of public education,” said Gavin Murrey, executive vice president and head of Public Finance/Debt Investment Banking at Raymond James. “With nearly 46 years of combined experience, Allan and Mike’s expertise, paired with our existing team of Greg Vahrenberg, Dick Bartow and Rich Bartow, further strengthens our respected K-12 underwriting practice.”

With 27 years of experience in public education, Dr. Markley has served as superintendent of schools for Raytown C-2, Sparta R-III and Logan-Rogersville R-VIII school districts in Missouri. He received his bachelor’s degree in education from Missouri State University, his master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Central Missouri, and his doctorate in education leadership from Saint Louis University.

Throughout his 25-year career in public education, Dr. Reik has served Missouri public schools as an assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and most recently, as the superintendent of schools for Platte County R-3. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and political science from Bradley University, his Master of Science degree in educational leadership from Northwest Missouri State University, and his Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Kansas.

“Mike and I are excited to continue serving the public school communities in Missouri and Kansas. We look forward to building the ‘go-to’ education finance practice in the Midwest,” said Dr. Markley.

“Raymond James’ powerful and growing distribution network across the Midwest, coupled with the firm’s considerable underwriting capacity, will be a winning formula for the municipal market in Missouri and Kansas,” said Dr. Reik.

Markley and Reik are the most recent in a series of senior-level Midwestern hires to expand the firm’s presence in a sector with growing financing needs across the country. Other bankers who recently joined the education finance team include managing directors Elizabeth Hennessy in Illinois, Greg Vahrenberg in Kansas and Missouri, Damian Maggos in Indiana and Dick Bartow in Missouri, directors Paul Soma in Michigan and Matthew Ruess in Indiana, as well as Vice President Rich Bartow in Missouri. The firm is searching for additional talented bankers to continue expanding the practice.

Raymond James was the nation’s third-leading underwriter of primary and secondary school transactions in 2021, based on par amount, serving as senior manager on 182 negotiated and competitive issues totaling nearly $5.3 billion in par amount, according to Bloomberg. Additional information is available at rjpublicfinance.com.

About Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF), is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 8,600 financial advisors. Total client assets are $1.13 trillion. Public since 1983, the firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.