- Member Spotlight
Scott D. Ulrey, New York City Office of Management and Budget, New York, NY
It’s not that easy to find others who are excited to discuss the incomprehensible elimination of tax-exempt advance refundings or the merits of potential improvements to the EMMA disclosure system.
Tell us a little about yourself – your family, your hobbies, etc.
I grew up in La Jolla, California and, after studying French literature and international affairs, ended up in New York at Columbia Law School. I started practicing law at Brown & Wood and later came to work for the City of New York. I currently serve as General Counsel of the New York City Office of Management and Budget, where I devote most of my time to the City’s financing program. I absolutely love working in public finance, which is always challenging and provides the opportunity to work on fascinating projects such as the New York City water system and the redevelopment of the Hudson Yards area. I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with my brilliant (non-bond-attorney) husband of 27 years and our very wonderful son. We love to play tennis, sail, and travel (at least we did before the pandemic).
How has your involvement in NABL impacted your career?
For me, the best part of NABL was discovering a community of people who do what I do. After all, it’s not that easy to find others who are excited to discuss the incomprehensible elimination of tax-exempt advance refundings or the merits of potential improvements to the EMMA disclosure system! Above all, I continue to be inspired by the dedication of NABL members to improving the communities in which we live.
As one of the chairs of the new Issuer’s and In-House Counsel Committee, what do you see as important goals for the committee in the coming year?
I am extremely grateful to NABL for providing a space within the organization to focus on the unique perspectives of issuers. I hope the committee will provide a forum for those who work at or for issuers to share ideas, compare different approaches to the challenges that we all face, and learn from each other.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on the public finance industry. From your perspective, how do you see this affecting issuers in the future?
The pandemic poses the greatest challenge to issuers that I have experienced in my career. My hope is that this committee will facilitate the exchange of ideas among issuers and the development of creative approaches to financing issues we face on a daily basis.