Michael Wertz

Michael Wertz

Vice President - Senior Analyst

Moody's Ratings

Michael Wertz is a Vice President-Senior Analyst on the Eastern Local Governments Ratings Team. He is the lead analyst for local government credits in Connecticut, Mississippi, and Florida and was previously the state lead for California. Michael has published extensively on the credit impact of physical risks of climate change, aging infrastructure, and water challenges. He is also a senior member of the Physical Climate Risk Working Group and Environmental and Social Risk Task Forces, which support research and training in these areas.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Michael was a consultant specializing in policy analysis, program evaluation and governance for water utilities, cities, K-12 districts, community colleges, and nonprofits. Michael began his career in economic, affordable housing and community development in San Antonio and holds an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Past Sessions

Thursday, February 6, 2025
2:05 pm

After a record year of issuance — and two years of rising inflation — how are issuers meeting the growing needs for upgrades of existing infrastructure along with investments in new projects?

  • Are there sectors that would benefit the most from investing in resilient infrastructure?
  • What types of disclosure are needed?
  • Should investors price in the effects of climate and severe-weather event related risks?
  • Is there enough demand for the debt that will likely be needed to support the needed infrastructure?