Susan Fitzgerald is a Managing Director in Moody’s Investors Service Public Finance Group, overseeing the healthcare, higher education, housing and municipal supported products ratings teams. Previously, she managed Moody’s global higher education and nonprofit team, covering over 700 colleges, universities, and nonprofit institutions worldwide. She has also been involved in various initiatives related to ESG analysis, charter schools, and public-private partnerships.

Susan’s other prior work experience includes managing the financial advisory practice at a boutique investment banking and advisory firm; serving as commercial credit analyst for a community bank; owning and operating an art gallery and a bed and breakfast; and as the assistant director of development, focused on foundation and corporate relations, for a graduate school.

Susan holds a Master’s degree in International Studies (European Studies and Economics) from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. Her A.B. degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs, with a minor in Economics, is from Occidental College, Los Angeles.

Mark Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi cofounded Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, is the lead director of PolicyMap, a data visualization and analytics company used by policymakers and commercial businesses, and is a director of the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit that facilitates the exchange of data across governments.

He is a trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public. Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress and conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. 

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which assesses the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by The New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis. Dr. Zandi is host of the Inside Economics podcast.
Dr. Zandi earned his BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Beth is a Vice President/Senior Credit Officer in Moody’s Health Care ratings group. Her responsibilities include assigning and monitoring healthcare ratings within the states of Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, Delaware, and West Virginia. A sampling of obligors in Beth’s portfolio include Geisinger Health, University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, NYU Langone Hospitals, Johns Hopkins Health System, Inova Health System, MedStar Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Sentara Healthcare, University of Maryland Medical System, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Beth has expertise in liquidity and complex debt structure analysis, including self liquidity programs. She is also the co-chair of Moody’s Public Finance Compliance Task Force.

Beth joined Moody’s in 1997. Prior to joining Moody’s Beth spent five years as an underwriter and surveillance officer with Financial Security Assurance. Beth earned her M.B.A. with a concentration in health care administration from Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Baruch College and her B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York at Albany.

Lisa is a Senior Vice President in Moody’s Health Care ratings group. Her responsibilities include assigning and monitoring healthcare ratings within the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, New York, Indiana, Connecticut and Maine.

Lisa’s specializes nationally in children’s hospitals, physician practice groups and USDA-financed projects. Lisa has expertise in liquidity and debt structure analysis, including self-liquidity programs. At Moody’s, Lisa also has several years of experience as a member of the Higher Education and Other Not-For-Profits ratings group, specializing in rating higher education institutions in Ohio and Pennsylvania and cultural institutions nationally.

Lisa joined Moody’s in 1993. Previously, she worked as a credit risk manager at J.P. Morgan & Co. and as a financial analyst at The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation. Lisa holds an M.B.A., with a concentration in finance, from New York University and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Vanessa is an Assistant Vice President in the Healthcare Ratings Group. She is a lead analyst for ratings of not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States. Vanessa joined the Healthcare team and Moody’s in 2022.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Vanessa worked in fundraising and data management in the not-for-profit sector and more recently in state and local government roles in Austin, TX.

Vanessa earned her Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022 and her B.A. from American University in 2015.

Dennis Gephardt is a Senior Vice President – Senior Credit Officer on Moody’s Higher Education and Not-for-Profit Team with over one dozen years of experience in the industry. He is the lead analyst for a diverse portfolio of colleges and universities as well as a variety of not-for-profit organizations. He serves on Moody’s liquidity and charter school task force groups. Dennis was the lead author for the several rating methodologies, including the one for Not-for-Profit Organizations (other than Healthcare and Higher Education). He has authored publications on various higher education topics including liquidity, the credit challenges of small colleges, and mergers within the sector.

Dennis graduated from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University with an MBA. Dennis holds a BA and an MA in History from the New College of Florida and the College of William and Mary, respectively.

Meredith is an Assistant Vice President - Analyst in the Moody’s Health Care ratings group. Her responsibilities include assigning and monitoring healthcare ratings across the United States, with a focus on the Midwest and South. Meredith specializes nationally in children’s hospitals, rural hospitals and distressed credits. Meredith is based out of the Moody’s New York Office.

Prior to joining the Healthcare Ratings Team, Meredith held roles in both the Project Management Office and Business Planning Teams at Moody’s. Previously, she worked in corporate strategy for Comcast Cable and began her career as a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial. She received a B.A in Economics from the University of Kansas.

Michael Osborn covers a diverse portfolio of colleges and universities as well as a variety of not-for-profit organizations primarily in the Midwest and Western United States. Michael has authored various sector related publications, including the Higher Education Outlook and extensive research on the impact of cyber security in higher education. His higher education experience extends to time spent in banking and working directly for a small liberal arts college. Michael was a Vice President in the Education and Not-for-Profit practice at Wells Fargo Bank. He was also the Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at a private college. Michael holds an MBA from Fordham University and a BA from Michigan State University

Amanda Richter is on the Higher Education team located in San Francisco and covers public and private higher education institutions as well as nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as Co-chair of the Moody’s SF Women’s BRG. 

Prior to joining Moody’s, Amanda was Head of Fixed Income Credit Research at First Republic where she led a team managing credit risk of $40 billion in fixed income assets. She additionally worked as a desk analyst at Deutsche Bank and she started her career at Lehman Brothers working in institutional equity sales. She holds a MPA in Public Finance from NYU Wager and a BBA from the University of Portland, Oregon.  She is also a returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

Susan Shaffer manages a portfolio of highly complex higher education and nonprofit institutions across the United States, particularly in the northeastern and southern US. She also oversees the department’s nonprofit sector and special credit and operations projects. In addition, Susan is a regular speaker at a variety of industry conferences and has become widely recognized as one of the leading voices for higher education and nonprofit organization credit nationally. Her authorship of research pieces covers topics such as the higher education outlook, leadership and governance challenges, pricing strategies, and self-liquidity issuance.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Susan managed financial incentive programs that support New York State businesses and major institutions as part of New York State’s economic development agency, Empire State Development. Her higher education sector expertise includes roles in admissions and marketing at Tulane University and New York University. Susan holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA in Classics from Tulane University.

Patrick McCabe covers a range of higher education and nonprofit institutions including private and public universities and nonprofit organizations.

In addition to his experience at Moody's, Patrick previously served as a municipal advisor working with higher education and nonprofit issuers. Patrick also spent several years working in enrollment management at Seton Hall University, with a focus on admissions and recruitment operations. Patrick graduated with B.A. in History and an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Supply Chain Management, both from Seton Hall University.

Douglas Goldmacher is a Senior Vice President/Senior Analyst in Moody's Credit Strategy and Guidance team with responsibility for monitoring ratings quality as well as assisting in the implementation of rating methodologies and practices for Moody's Public Finance Group.

Douglas joined Moody's in 2013, serving 10 years as an analyst on the Local Government team, eventually becoming the lead analyst for local government credits in New Jersey. He has experience in a diverse portfolio of local government, state, enterprise, federal lease, and mass transit credits.

Prior to joining Moody's, Douglas worked for Xerox. He received his BA from Duke University with a double major in History and French. He holds an MBA from the University of Rochester's Simon School of Business.

Cassandra Golden is an AVP in Moody’s Healthcare Ratings group, covering not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. Cassandra recently authored the 2026 Not-for-Profit Healthcare Outlook and contributed to research on the impact of OBBBA on hospitals.

Previously, Cassandra worked on Moody’s Higher Education and Not-for-Profits team. Before joining Moody’s, Cassandra served as a senior analyst at the New York City Office of Management and Budget. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from Providence College.

Matthew Cahill is an Analyst in the Healthcare Ratings Group. He is a lead analyst for ratings of not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems across the US with a concentration in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas. 

Prior to joining the Healthcare Ratings Team, Matthew held multiple Financial Planning and Analysis roles, both within and outside the organization. Matthew received his B.S in Finance from Villanova University and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation in 2019.

Susan Fitzgerald is a Managing Director in Moody’s Investors Service Public Finance Group, overseeing the healthcare, higher education, housing and municipal supported products ratings teams. Previously, she managed Moody’s global higher education and nonprofit team, covering over 700 colleges, universities, and nonprofit institutions worldwide. She has also been involved in various initiatives related to ESG analysis, charter schools, and public-private partnerships.

Susan’s other prior work experience includes managing the financial advisory practice at a boutique investment banking and advisory firm; serving as commercial credit analyst for a community bank; owning and operating an art gallery and a bed and breakfast; and as the assistant director of development, focused on foundation and corporate relations, for a graduate school.

Susan holds a Master’s degree in International Studies (European Studies and Economics) from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. Her A.B. degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs, with a minor in Economics, is from Occidental College, Los Angeles.

Emily Raimes is an Executive Director in Moody’s Ratings Public Finance Group, overseeing the global higher education and nonprofit team, covering over 700 colleges, universities, and nonprofit institutions worldwide.

Previously, she managed the States Team, covering state credits across the US. Prior to joining Moody’s in 2006, Emily spent seven years at the New York City Office of Management and Budget, working primarily in Economic Analysis. Emily holds a BA degree in government from Wesleyan University and a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University.

Patrick Ronk is an Associate Vice President - Analyst for the Higher Education and Not-for-Profits Ratings Team.

Prior to joining Moody's, Patrick worked as a Research Associate for the Citizens Budget Commission, a think tank and good government group focused on New York City and State's public services. Prior to that, he was a Senior Associate at Cornerstone Government Affairs, a bipartisan lobbying and government relations firm in Washington, DC. Patrick holds an MPA from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland.

Sanjay Motwani is an Assistant Vice President for the Higher Education and Not-for-Profits Ratings Team. He covers a broad portfolio of public and private colleges, universities, and prominent not-for-profit organizations across the United States. Sanjay also serves on Moody's Cybersecurity working group. He has authored numerous publications analyzing federal policy proposals, legislative actions, credit trends, market dynamics, and cybersecurity risks impacting the Higher Education sector.

Prior to joining the team, Sanjay held various audit and risk management roles at Moody's, New York University and Chubb Limited. He earned an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BS from Rutgers University in Finance and Economics.

Dan joined Moody’s Healthcare Ratings team in 2007. He covers hospitals in Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, California and Washington in addition to several other states. Dan is a 2018 recipient of the Bond Buyer’s Rising Stars award and is the author of multiple research publications including the Not-for Profit Healthcare Sector Outlook for 2020, the Not-for-Profit Healthcare Rating Methodology and research on the topics of: the Affordable Care Act, academic medical centers, payer-provider consolidation, and investment liquidity.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Dan worked as a researcher at a think tank in Washington, DC and in community development in Russia and Israel. He holds a B.A. in political science from Binghamton University, a Masters in International Affairs with a concentration in finance from Columbia University, and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2011.

Matthew Cahill is an Analyst in the Healthcare Ratings Group. He is a lead analyst for ratings of not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems across the US with a concentration in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas. 

Prior to joining the Healthcare Ratings Team, Matthew held multiple Financial Planning and Analysis roles, both within and outside the organization. Matthew received his B.S in Finance from Villanova University and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation in 2019.

Rita Strauss is a Vice President - Senior Analyst in the Healthcare Ratings group and has been with Moody’s since 2014. Her responsibilities include assigning and monitoring healthcare ratings within the states of California, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Rita worked as a Staff Auditor and Accountant at the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund. Rita earned her M.B.A. with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Baruch College and her B.A. in Finance/Investments from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business.