Call for Volunteers

The NFMA will hold the 2026 Annual Conference at the InterContinental Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia, May 12-15, 2026. We are now forming the conference planning committee (CPC) to develop the educational component of this event. We invite you to apply to participate!  August 8 is the deadline to submit your application. Early submissions are greatly appreciated, and we will review applications on a rolling basis. Note that we will continue accepting applications until the CPC is fully formed. 

The CPC is typically composed of at least twelve enthusiastic analysts and other industry participants with the ability to define topics of interest and work with CPC colleagues to attract panelists to help further the education mission of the NFMA. CPC members will typically, but are not required to, moderate their panels. Conference co-chairs stand ready to provide all necessary guidance and assistance. The role of each CPC member includes but may not be limited to the tasks listed below:  

  • Committing to regularly scheduled, typically monthly, conference calls (September 2025- April 2026).
  • Contributing ideas for panels and evaluating panel topics for inclusion in the conference.
  • Taking ownership of a panel which primarily includes securing the panelists and coordinating the panel presentation and discussion.
  • Supporting other members of the CPC with suggested speakers for their panels.

The NFMA strives for a diverse CPC that adequately reflects the general membership in terms of firm representation, sector breadth and perspective. We encourage applicants newer to the industry, or those who have not participated actively in prior NFMA or NFMA society events, as well as experienced industry participants to consider applying. As noted, the conference co-chairs are eager to assist less experienced CPC members who demonstrate the necessary commitment and talent. Please apply only if you expect to have the time available to support this very visible event with your full effort.

Please send your application or any questions to Lisa Good ([email protected]), Eric Kim ([email protected]) and Jane Ridley ([email protected]).

In your application, please discuss the following (incomplete applications may not be considered):

  1. Constituent society or affiliation (Affiliated Individual, BMAF, CMAS, CSMA, MAGNY, MARMOT, MSMA, PhAMAS, SMFS) or geographic location - you should be a member of the NFMA in good standing or be prepared to become one.
  2. Primary role (e.g., analyst, research, strategist, portfolio manager, bond counsel, etc.).
  3. Primary function of your department/company (e.g., buy-side, sell-side, credit rating, legal, etc.).
  4. Any prior NFMA and NFMA society activity (e.g., 2019 CPC, advanced seminar planning, board of governors, committee membership).
  5. Any other non-NFMA conference planning experiences, including year and role.
  6. Confirmation that your direct manager has approved your CPC application submission.
  7. 1-3 areas of interest and/or suggestions for topics to be presented at the conference. If you have ideas for specific panelists or types of panelists (e.g., industry role), please include them in your proposals. 

Applications can be submitted directly within emails or as Word or PDF attachments. All CPC applications received will be assumed to have the full support of an applicant’s employer (i.e. permission to participate and attend). CPC spots are awarded to individuals based on the strength of their applications, and not to firms/companies. Any individual withdrawal from the CPC will lead to another NFMA-wide call for volunteers to fill the vacancy.

We look forward to receiving responses from a broad group of interested NFMA members to fill all CPC spots. While we want to be clear that participating in the CPC is a lot of work, it is also extremely rewarding. Please understand that the quality of the program is paramount, so any desire to participate simply as a means to promote a firm or colleague is discouraged.

The conference committee chairs hope to have the CPC seated by August 15, 2025, with meetings commencing no later than September 15, 2025. Thank you for your interest in working to make the NFMA's 2026 Annual Conference an educational success. 

Eric Kim and Jane Ridley

2026 NFMA Annual Conference Co-Chairs