WASHINGTON – Michael Decker plans to leave the Regional Bond Dealers Association, the 20-month-old startup group he helped launch and co-lead, to rejoin the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the RBDA announced today.
Decker, who previously served as SIFMA’s senior managing director, research and public policy, will return to the group as co-head of its municipal securities division with Leslie Norwood, and both will report to SIFMA executive vice president Randy Snook, SIFMA said. He is expected to start at his new job next month.
Michael Nicholas, co-chief executive officer of the RBDA, said in an interview that Decker’s departure is “disappointing and disruptive,” but stressed that the RBDA “will use this as a real opportunity to become a more effective organization.”
“They’ve been a little frustrated with our success over the years,” Nicholas said, adding, “It’s a personal decision he’s making to go back and work for SIFMA and work for a different demographic of firms.”
Mark Medford, chairman of the RBDA and president and chief executive officer of Vining-Sparks, said in a statement: “I want to thank Michael for his efforts and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
SIFMA’s hiring of Decker comes after the Wall Street trade group began boosting its muni staff this year, announcing in January that it had hired Leon Bijou, a former attorney at Goldman Sachs, to assist with municipal legal and regulatory issues.
Since it was started last year, the RBDA has grown considerably, more than doubling from its 14 original firms to 32. It is the only dealer organization to focus primarily on fixed-income legislative and regulatory issues.
