Investment bank and wealth management Avondale Partners said its start-up municipal bond desk has hired Metro Council member Emily Evans as well as a veteran of RBC Capital Markets.

Evans will be responsible for research and analytics for state and local bond issuers, while Terry Thornber will oversee institutional and dealer account sales. Both will work at Avondale’s West End headquarters. Both are vice presidents at the firm and reporting to Managing Director Richard Sale, who launched Avondale's municipal bond arm this summer.

"We have been pleased with the interest in our municipal bond trading services in the three months it has been open," said Pat Shepherd, senior managing partner of Avondale. "The addition of Emily and Terry, two experienced and respected financial professionals, further expands our capabilities to serve our clients in the municipal bond realm and strengthens the overall firm. We are delighted to have them to Avondale."

Evans, who has represented Belle Meade and West Meade on Metro Council since 2006, has more than 20 years experience working in municipal underwriting and finance. She began her career in New York City and worked at J.C. Bradford & Co. until its sale to UBS PaineWebber in 2000. Since then, she has consulted with a number of local governments and broker-dealers around the Southeast.

Thornber has more than 30 years of experience in the securities industry. He was director of dealer sales at RBC Capital Markets from 2003 to 2008. Before that, he worked at Stephens, J.C. Bradford, Raymond James and ABN AMRO. In the past two years, he has worked as a consultant advising institutional accounts and individual clients on municipal bond and personal wealth management issues.