Co-Founders of YaCari Consultants, LLC, Join HilltopSecurities Public Finance Division in Houston
05/15/2019
DALLAS, May 15, 2019 – Hilltop Securities Inc. (HilltopSecurities) today announced the co-founders of YaCari Consultants, LLC, recently joined the firm’s public finance division in Houston, Texas.
Yava Scott and Carmen T. Best join the firm as managing directors. The investment bankers will work alongside the firm’s existing Houston-based municipal advisors assisting issuers across the country with both traditional and non-traditional/alternative delivery municipal advisory services.
“We are very fortunate to find two bankers with the credentials and relationships of Yava and Carmen, and we’re excited to add them to our team in Houston,” said David Medanich, vice chairman and head of public finance. “This is just another step to strengthen our position in Houston and the surrounding area.”
Scott and Best have a long, unique history as a municipal advisory team. Prior to joining HilltopSecurities, they were co-founders of YaCari Consultants, a wholly woman-owned registered municipal advisory firm, where they advised a wide range of Texas issuers on the planning and execution of new money, refunding, and remarketing transactions. Prior to co-founding YaCari, Scott and Best worked together as investment bankers for more than seven years in the Houston office of Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC (formerly Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC).
“HilltopSecurities was a natural choice for us. They’re a municipals-focused firm with the capital and resources that enable us to provide a higher level of service to our clients,” said Scott.
“HilltopSecurities has a strong reputation among Houston-area bankers and issuers,” said Best. “We’re excited to be part of a firm with such a rich history in Texas public finance.”
About Yava Scott
Scott joins HilltopSecurities as managing director and brings more than 33 years of experience in public finance to the firm. Prior to joining HilltopSecurities, Scott co-founded YaCari Consultants, LLC, where she served as co-managing partner from 2014 to 2019. At YaCari, she helped clients plan and execute traditional issuances, and assisted with compiling and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data for alternative delivery financing projects. Prior to that, Scott served as an investment banker with Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC, where she worked on both taxable and tax-exempt financing transactions, structuring and managing transactions in a variety of focus areas including water and sewer, transit, tax increment, and general/revenue obligation.
Scott began her career in the industry as a public finance attorney, serving in various roles including bond/co-bond counsel, underwriter/co-underwriter/dealer counsel, and as trustee/escrow agent/paying agent for several years. In this capacity, she helped review and execute negotiated and competitive bond financing transactions. Scott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University and a Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s University School of Law.
About Carmen T. Best
Best joins HilltopSecurities as managing director and brings more than 25 years of progressive experience in public finance to the firm. Prior to joining HilltopSecurities, Best co-founded YaCari Consultants, LLC, where she served as co-managing partner from 2014 to 2019. Prior to that, she was an investment banker with Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC, Raymond James, and Robert W. Baird where she served as lead banker for the firm’s Houston office. In her previous positions, she coordinated all marketing activities and allocation of resources and was responsible for the successful execution of underwriting transactions. Best also performed in-depth analyses on the financial objectives and available resources of potential clients to determine financial capacity and structure unique finance solutions for municipalities.
Prior to her work in investment banking, Best served as an executive-level staff member for the City of Houston where she provided oversight for the city’s general obligation, water and sewer system, airport system, and convention and entertainment facilities debt programs. She was also responsible for planning and coordinating all actions to secure funding for the multi-year capital improvement programs, as well as facilitating all activities for the execution of the city’s negotiated and/or competitive bid financings to fund capital projects and other cash flow needs. Best earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of St. Thomas.
About Hilltop Securities Inc.
Hilltop Securities Inc. delivers forthright advice and tailored solutions for municipal issuers, institutions, broker-dealers, and individuals. The financial services firm and registered investment adviser is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with offices across the United States. Areas of focus include public finance; municipal and taxable fixed income underwriting, sales, and trading; equity and portfolio trading; retail brokerage services; securities clearing; structured finance; and securities lending. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTH), HilltopSecurities’ affiliates include Hilltop Securities Independent Network Inc., PlainsCapital Bank, PrimeLending, and National Lloyds Corporation. Member: NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.
CONTACT:
Hilltop Holdings Inc.
Justin Luera
214.252.4015
justin.luera@hilltop-holdings.com
