Overview
Rhonda helps public finance clients achieve their financing goals.
Rhonda’s practice focuses on assisting issuers, borrowers, and underwriters in public finance transactions of all sizes. She regularly serves as bond counsel to Hennepin County (the largest county in Minnesota) and assists other governmental and nonprofit issuers to meet their sophisticated bond counsel needs, with a focus on housing, charter school, and other conduit financings. Rhonda also frequently serves as borrower’s counsel or underwriter’s counsel for charter schools, higher education, health care systems and all manner of 501(c)(3) financings.
In 2019, Rhonda was named one of the “Top Women in Finance” by Finance and Commerce. In the community, Rhonda serves as the Legislative Chair of the Minnesota Institute of Public Finance and the Vice President – Education for the Minnesota Chapter of Women in Public Finance. Rhonda is also an active member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and has served on the faculty of NABL’s “Essentials” seminar, teaching workshops on conduit 501(c)(3) debt, bond opinions, and state law issues for multistate practice. Prior to practicing law, Rhonda worked in the education and non-profit sector as a development director and program coordinator.
Education & Admissions
University of St. Thomas School of Law (J.D., 2006), magna cum laude; Law Review, Notes and Comments Editor
Hamline University (B.A., English and Management, 2000), cum laude
Admissions
- North Dakota
- Minnesota
Clerkships
- Minnesota Court of Appeals, Honorable Christopher J. Dietzen, 2006-2007
- Minnesota Court of Appeals, Honorable Randolph W. Peterson, 2007-2008
- Minnesota Court of Appeals, Honorable Wilhelmina M. Wright, 2007-2008
Experience
Representative Transactions
Governmental Bond Counsel
- $75,350,000 Hennepin County, Minnesota, General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2022B
- $55,000,000 Hennepin County, Minnesota Taxable General Obligation Bonds, Series 2022A
- $44,390,000 Rice County, Minnesota General Obligation Public Safety Center Bonds, Series 2022A
- $5,505,000 Grand Forks Park District, Grand Forks County, North Dakota Refunding Improvement Bonds, Series 2021B
- $2,970,000 Grand Forks Park District, Grand Forks County, North Dakota, General Obligation Special Assessment Refunding Bonds, Series 2021A
- $544,677.72 Town of Bayside, Texas, Combination Tax and Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2021
- $250,000,000 Hennepin County Commercial Paper Certificates Series A (Tax-Exempt) Commercial Paper Certificates Series B (Taxable) 2020
- $150,000,000 Hennepin County General Obligation Sales Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2020C
- $5,260,000 Rice County, Minnesota General Obligation Capital Improvement Plan Bonds, Series 2019B
- $163,485,000 Hennepin County, Minnesota General Obligation Bonds, Series 2018B (Variable Rate)
- $72,155,000 Hennepin County, Minnesota Third Lien Variable Rate Sales Tax Revenue Refunding Notes, Series 2017D (Ballpark Project – Direct Purchase)
Housing
- Bond Counsel - $16,560,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Note (Whittier Community Housing Project), Series 2023
- Issuer’s Counsel - $4,300,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds (Talmage Oakland Project), Series 2023A and $6,700,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Note (Talmage Oakland Project), Series 2023B
- Underwriter’s Counsel – $100,000,000 Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Residential Housing Finance Bonds, 2023 Series H and I (Taxable)
- Underwriter’s Counsel – $150,000,000 Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Residential Housing Finance Bonds, 2023 Series F (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds) and 2023 Series G (Taxable) (Social Bonds)
- Underwriter’s Counsel – $120,000,000 Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Residential Housing Finance Bonds, 2023 Series D (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds) and 2023 Series E (Taxable) (Social Bonds)
- Bond Counsel - $24,680,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds (Currie Commons Project), Series 2022A and $5,232,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Note (Currie Commons Project), Series 2022B
- Issuer’s Counsel - $28,500,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Multifamily Housing Revenue Note (Peregrine Apartments Project) Series 2021
- Bond Counsel - $32,000,000 City of Minneapolis, Multifamily Tax-Exempt Mortgage-backed Bonds (14th and Central, LLLP Project), Series 2020
- Bond Counsel - $16,065,000 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority Multifamily Tax-Exempt Mortgage-backed Bonds (M-TEMS) (The Redwell, LLLP Project), Series 2019 (FN)
Higher Education
- Underwriter’s Counsel - $21,235,000 Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue Bonds, Series 2023 (St. Catherine University)
- Underwriter’s Counsel - $60,720,000 Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue Bonds, Series 2022A (University of St. Thomas) (Green Bonds) and $70,280,000 Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue Bonds, Series 2022B (University of St. Thomas)
- Underwriter’s Counsel - $12,870,000 Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2021 (Macalester College)
- Borrower’s Counsel - $9,725,000 Minnesota Higher Education Facilities Authority, Revenue and Refunding Note, Series 2021 (Trustees of the Hamline University of Minnesota)
- Bond Counsel - $400,000,000 University of Minnesota Commercial Paper Notes, Series G and Series H, Taxable Commercial Paper Notes, Series I, 2018
Charter Schools
- Borrower’s Counsel - $12,790,000 Housing and Redevelopment Authority of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (Higher Ground Academy Project), Series 2023
- Underwriter’s Counsel - $7,875,000 Charyl Stockwell Academy, Public School Academy Limited Obligation Revenue Bonds, Series 2023
- Borrower’s Counsel - $41,465,000 City of Ramsey, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (PACT Charter School Project), Series 2022A and Series 2022B (Taxable)
- Borrower’s Counsel and Bond Counsel - $27,400,000 City of St. Cloud, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (Athlos Academy Project), Series 2022A and Series 2022B (Taxable)
- Issuer’s Counsel - $8,715,000 Utah Charter School Finance Authority, Charter School Revenue Bonds (Dual Immersion Academy), Series 2022A and Series 2022B (Taxable)
- Underwriter’s Counsel - $5,740,000 Michigan Finance Authority, Public School Academy Limited Obligation Revenue and Revenue Refunding Bonds (Holly Academy Project), Series 2021
- Borrower’s Counsel - $8,955,000 City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (Twin Lakes STEM Academy Project), Series 2021A, and Taxable Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (Twin Lakes STEM Academy Project), Series 2021B
- Borrower’s Counsel - $29,090,000 City of Forest Lake, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (North Lakes Academy Project), Series 2021A and Taxable Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (North Lakes Academy Project), Series 2021B
- Issuer’s Counsel - $11,225,000 Utah Charter School Finance Authority, Charter School Revenue Bonds (Mountain Sunrise Academy), Series 2021A and Series 2021B (Taxable)
- Borrower’s Counsel - $19,675,000 St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Minnesota, Charter School Lease Revenue Bonds (HOPE Community Academy Project), Series 2020A
- Bond and Disclosure Counsel - $12,685,000 Utah Charter School Finance Authority, Charter School Revenue and Refunding Bonds (Renaissance Academy), Series 2020
- Issuer’s Counsel - $17,015,000 Utah Charter School Finance Authority, Initially Taxable Convertible Charter School Revenue Bonds (Summit Academy High School), Series 2019A
Industries & Practices
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practicePublic-Private Partnerships
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceNonprofit & Tax Exempt Organizations
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceHigher Education & Academic Research Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceBanking & Financial Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceDevelopment & Infrastructure
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Banking & Financial Institutions
- Development & Infrastructure
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Higher Education & Academic Research Institutions
- Nonprofit & Tax Exempt Organizations
- Public Finance
- Public-Private Partnerships
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- Minnesota Chapter of Women in Public Finance, Vice President for Education, Board Member
- Minnesota Institute of Public Finance, Legislative Chair and Board Member
- National Association of Bond Lawyers
Community Involvement
- WomenVenture, Board Member
- Minnesota Opera, Tempo Board of Directors, Past President
- University of St. Thomas School of Law, Alumnae Committee, Past Member Alumni Board of Directors