D.A. Davidson & Co. is proud to announce the addition of three talented professionals to its Development Finance Group: Matt Chorske, Ben Vera, and Jayden Thieman. These strategic hires reflect the firm’s continued investment in top-tier talent and its commitment to delivering innovative public finance solutions across the country.
Matt Chorske joins the Development Finance Group as a Director on the Colorado team. With over 27 years of experience, Matt brings deep expertise in structuring and executing more than $4 billion in municipal debt financings. His background spans property and sales tax-backed obligations, land-secured debt, tax-increment financing, and general obligation bonds. Prior to joining D.A. Davidson, Matt held leadership roles at US Bank, BBVA USA, and Western Alliance Bank, and also served as a banker in Piper Sandler’s Special District Group.
“I am extremely excited and fortunate to be joining the D.A. Davidson Development Finance Group. Having worked with this talented team on the buy side of the market for many years, I have long admired their commitment and highly respected reputation in this industry, and I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the Group,” said Chorske.
Ben Vera joins the Development Finance Group as a Director in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing a wealth of experience in public finance and real estate advisory. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cardinal Capital Advisors, where he advised developers on large-scale, mixed-use, and master-planned commercial and residential projects. Previously, Ben served as Vice President at CIM Group, where he led capital markets strategy and execution, including over $850 million in tax-exempt bond issuances for Centennial Yards (Atlanta) and Miami Worldcenter (Miami). He also held roles at Piper Sandler and began his career at MacKay Shields in Los Angeles.
“I'm honored to join the Development Finance Group at D.A. Davidson,” said Vera. “I've worked with them in all facets of special district and tax increment transactions and have learned first-hand that it is a world-class team. With recently passed legislation unlocking new special district tools and the tremendous growth occurring, it makes a lot of sense to expand and plant a flag here in the Southeast. I'm looking forward to serving our great clients in this region of the country.”
Jayden Thieman joins the team as a quantitative analyst after recently graduating from the Colorado School of Mines. Her strong mathematical and analytical skillset will support the Development Finance Group’s data-driven approach to meticulous financial modeling and transaction structuring.
“I am so excited to be joining the team here at D.A. Davidson, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities I have been given and I look forward to working with this amazing team,” said Thieman.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Matt, Ben, and Jayden to the team,” said Laci Knowles, Managing Director of the Development Finance Group. “Their combined experience, energy, and dedication to public finance will be instrumental in supporting our clients and driving growth across the firm.”
“Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective and skillset that strengthens our ability to serve clients across diverse markets,” added Kyle Thomas, Managing Director of the Development Finance Group. “We’re especially excited about expanding our presence in the Southeast and continuing to build out our analytical capabilities with top talent.”
For more information about D.A. Davidson’s Development Finance Group, visit their page on the D.A. Davidson website.
About D.A. Davidson Companies
D.A. Davidson Companies is an employee-owned financial services firm offering a range of financial services and advice to individuals, corporations, institutions and municipalities nationwide. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Montana, with corporate offices in Denver, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, the company has approximately 1,600 employees and offices in 30 states.
Subsidiaries include: D.A. Davidson & Co., the largest full-service investment firm headquartered in the Northwest, providing wealth management, investment banking, equity and fixed income capital markets services, and advice; Davidson Investment Advisors, a professional asset management firm; D.A. Davidson Trust Company, a trust and wealth management company; and Davidson Fixed Income Management, a registered investment adviser providing fixed income portfolio and advisory services.