Florida municipal issuers and professional colleagues expressed shock and sadness by the sudden loss Sunday of Ed Stull, who spent more than three decades working in public finance and banking. He was 55.
Stull, a managing director and financial advisor for Masterson Advisors, suffered a heart attack last week and died Sunday.
Just a year ago, he opened Masterson’s first branch office in Orlando, after leaving Hilltop Securities and First Southwest Co.
Stull joined more than a dozen Hilltop employees who had moved to Houston-based Masterson, a financial advisory firm that Drew Masterson helped launched in March 2018 in part to represent charter schools.
“We are all stunned by his loss and miss him greatly already,” said Masterson, the firm’s co-owner and managing director.
Masterson said he didn’t hesitate to hire Stull when he decided to join the firm.
“His enthusiasm for the business is contagious. His integrity is of the highest order,” said Masterson. “He taught us a lot about how to chase new business the right way and how to maintain a positive attitude while doing so.”
Stull had more than 33 years of experience, most of it working in municipal finance with cities, counties, special assessment agencies, community redevelopment and toll road agencies as well as water, sewer and stormwater utilities.
While based in Florida his entire career, Stull had also done financial advisory work with transportation issuers outside of the Sunshine State.
“I’m devastated that he’s gone,” said Jennifer Manning, director of Martin County’s Office of Management and Budget. “He was so instrumental not just for the county but as a person.”
Manning described Stull as very professional, patient, passionate, energetic and dedicated to his work and to the county.
As Indian River County’s financial advisor for about 12 years, County Administrator Jason Brown said Stull was always a gentleman and true professional.
“We are saddened and shocked to hear of his passing,” said Brown, who previously was the county’s director of management and budget. “Ed will be missed dearly. He always did a great job for Indian River County.”
For a dozen years when he worked at Hilltop and First Southwest, Stull was the financial advisor for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, also known as THEA.
Amy Lettelleir, the expressway authority’s chief financial officer, said Stull’s passing is tragic on a personal and professional basis.
“I worked with Ed for more than 20 years and am incredibly sad about the loss of my friend,” she said. “Ed was a tremendously loyal advisor and his depth and breadth of knowledge of the bond markets and, especially the toll sector, was an incredible asset to THEA.”
Stull helped the THEA become an independent agency when it separated from the oversight of the Florida Department of Transportation in 2012, advising the authority on its initial stand-alone bond issue, Lettelleir said.
“With his guidance, THEA was able to become even more financially sound and prepare for the bond issue in 2017 to finance our first major project, the Selmon West Extension,” she said.
Stull is survived by his wife Paula.
A celebration of life will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando on Saturday.
DeGusipe Funeral Home has posted a tribute wall for people to share memories.
