Patrick joined RiverNorth in 2004 and serves as Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager. Patrick heads the firm's investment team and oversees all portfolio management activities at RiverNorth. Patrick also serves as the President and Chairman of RiverNorth Funds. Prior to joining RiverNorth, Patrick was Vice President at Bank of America in the Global Investment Bank's Portfolio Management group where he specialized in analyzing and structuring corporate transactions for investment management firms in addition to closed-end and open-end funds, hedge funds, fund of funds, structured investment vehicles and insurance/reinsurance companies. Patrick graduated with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Finance. He is a CFA Charterholder and member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

John joined MacKay Shields in July 2009 when the firm acquired the assets of Mariner Municipal Managers LLC. He was the Chairman and co-founder of Mariner Municipal Managers from 2007 to 2009. He has been a municipal portfolio manager and/or municipal analyst since 1990, with a broad range of portfolio management and analytic experience in the municipal markets. John was a Managing Director and Co-Head of BlackRock’s Municipal Portfolio Management Group (from 2006 to 2007). Prior to BlackRock’s merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), he served as Chief Investment Officer of the Municipal Products Group. He was employed by Merrill Lynch from 1990 to 2006. Before Merrill Lynch, he worked for the City of Boston Treasury Department. John is a member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team. He graduated with an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Boston University and with a Bachelors degree in Finance, cum laude, from Utah State University where he was a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Mr. Burke has managed the MainStay MacKay U.S. Infrastructure Bond Fund since 2019. Mr. Burke joined MacKay Shields as a Managing Director in July 2017. Before joining the firm, he held various leadership roles in capital markets over the last 30 years, spending most of his time in the municipal markets. In his last role, he managed the Global Futures, Derivative Clearing, and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage businesses at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Prior to that, Mr. Burke ran Credit Hedge Fund Sales, the group that was responsible for marketing credit & interest rate derivatives, as well as CLOs and structured products to institutional investors. He also worked in the firm’s private equity group, raising capital for leveraged buyout and venture capital funds. He started his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the municipal bond department covering insurance, hedge fund, and asset management clients. Mr. Burke holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Gabelli School at Fordham University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors in Economics from Colgate University. He is a CFA® charterholder.

Mr. Sprauer is a Senior Managing Director. He joined MacKay Shields in 2009 as a Portfolio Manager in the Municipal Bond Division. He has managed the MainStay MacKay New York Tax Free Opportunities Fund, MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund since 2012, MainStay MacKay California Tax Free Opportunities Fund since 2013, MainStay MacKay High Yield Municipal Bond Fund, MainStay MacKay Tax Free Bond Fund since 2014 and MainStay MacKay U.S. Infrastructure Bond Fund since 2019. Before joining the firm, he was Head Trader, Fixed Income at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. Mr. Sprauer was previously with Dreyfus Corporation and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers as a Municipal Bond Portfolio Manager/Trader. He has a BSBA from Villanova University, and has been in the investment management industry since 1991.

Robert joined MacKay Shields in July 2009 when the firm acquired the assets of Mariner Municipal Managers LLC. He was the President and co-founder of Mariner Municipal Managers from 2007 to 2009. He has been a municipal portfolio manager since 1992, with a broad range of trading and portfolio management experience in the municipal markets. Robert was a Managing Director and Co-Head of BlackRock’s Municipal Portfolio Management Group (from 2006 to 2007). Prior to BlackRock’s merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, he served as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of the Municipal Products Group. He was employed by Merrill Lynch from 1993 to 2006. Robert is a member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team. He earned his Master’s degree at Rutgers University Business School and an undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Steve joined RiverNorth in 2007 and serves as Portfolio Manager. Steve co-manages the firm's closed-end fund trading strategies and helps to oversee the firm's closed-end fund investment analysts. Prior to joining RiverNorth, Steve was Assistant Vice President at Bank of America in the Global Investment Bank's Portfolio Management group where he specialized in the corporate real estate, asset management and structured finance industries. Steve graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami University of Ohio with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics. He is a CFA Charterholder and member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

Mike joined MacKay Shields in July 2009. Before joining the firm he was a Portfolio Manager for Mariner Municipal Managers. He has been a municipal bond portfolio manager since 1992, and has worked in the municipal products market since 1985. Mike has a broad array of trading, portfolio management, and sales experience. Prior to joining Mariner Municipal Managers, he was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Dreyfus Corporation from 1997 to 2009. From 1992 to 1997, he served as a Portfolio Manager for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. He is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Mike graduated from Hobart College with a B.S. in Mathematics and Economics.

Mr. Dowden is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at MacKay Shields. He joined MacKay Shields in 2009 as a Portfolio Manager in the Municipal Bond Division. He has managed the MainStay MacKay New York Tax Free Opportunities Fund, MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund since 2012, MainStay MacKay California Tax Free Opportunities Fund since 2013, MainStay MacKay High Yield Municipal Bond Fund, MainStay MacKay Tax Free Bond Fund since 2014 and MainStay MacKay U.S. Infrastructure Bond Fund since 2019. Before joining the firm, he was Chief Investment Officer at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. He was previously with Alliance Capital Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager and at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Municipal Strategist. He has an AB from Brown University and an MBA from Columbia University. He has been in the investment management industry since 1989.