FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       99-97


   Martha Mahan Haines Appointed Attorney-Fellow in Office of
                      Municipal Securities

     Washington, DC, August 12, 1999 -- The Securities and
Exchange Commission's Office of Municipal Securities today
announced the selection of Martha Mahan Haines as an Attorney-
Fellow for a two-year term that began August 2, 1999.
Previously, Ms. Haines was engaged in the private practice of
municipal finance law for 21 years in Chicago.

     Ms. Haines has acted as bond counsel and represented
underwriters, issuers, conduit borrowers, trustees, institutional
purchasers, and providers of credit enhancement on more than 200
bond issues with an aggregate principal amount of more than $3
billion.  These include bond issues for major issuers such as the
Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority; the City of Chicago;
Cook County, Illinois; and Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical
Center.  She has broad experience with many varieties of bond
issues for both governmental and private purposes, including:
single and multifamily bonds; bonds for health care and other
501(c)(3) organizations; tax increment bonds; commercial paper;
asset securitized issues and inverse rate securities; and
traditional general obligation and revenue bonds.

     Paul Maco, Director of the Office of Municipal Securities,
said "Martha's extensive experience with a broad variety of
public finance transactions will be a tremendous asset to the
Commission as we work with the municipal finance community and
provide municipal market expertise to other Divisions within the
Commission."

     Ms. Haines joins Stephen Weinstein in serving as Attorney-
Fellows in the Commission's Office of Municipal Securities.

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