Walter O’Connor, CFA, is a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Municipal Funds team within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group. He is also a member of the Municipal Bond Operating Committee, which oversees all municipal bond portfolio management, research and trading activities. Mr. O’Connor’s service with the firm dates back to 1991, including his years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), which merged with BlackRock in 2006. At MLIM, he was a portfolio manager for municipal bond retail mutual funds. Prior to joining MLIM, Mr. O’Connor was with Prudential Securities, where he was involved in trading, underwriting, and arbitrage for municipal securities and financial futures. Mr. O’Connor earned a B.A. degree in finance and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 1984.

Phillip Soccio, CFA, Director and portfolio manager, is a member of the BlackRock's Fixed Income Portfolio Management Group.Prior to assuming his current role in 2007, Mr. Soccio was a member of BlackRock's Cash Management Group, where he was responsible for managing various tax-exempt money market funds. From 1998 to 2000, he was a member of BlackRock's Account Management Group responsible for institutional client service and marketing support. Mr. Soccio began his career at BlackRock in 1998.

Kevin Maloney, CFA, Vice President, is a Portfolio Manager for the Municipal Mutual Fund Desk within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group. Mr. Maloney began his career at BlackRock in 2011 as an Analyst on the Municipal Credit Research Team. He graduated from Drexel University in 2011 with a B.S. in Finance.

Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2023; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2017 to 2022; Vice President of BlackRock, Inc. from 2014 to 2016; Vice President of Moelis & Co. from 2013 to 2014.