Wells Fargo announced Natalie Cohen, head of Municipal Research for Wells Fargo Securities, will retire from the firm after eight years of service.

Cohen, who is based in New York, has served as managing director and head of the coverage area since it launched in 2010 as part of the Global Economics and Research group. Cohen is well known for her thought leadership and studies about municipal credit risk and bond defaults. She is the author of the widely distributed report, “Municipal Default Patterns: a Historical Study.”

“Hiring Natalie marked the inception of Wells Fargo’s municipal research effort. She began as our sole municipal market strategist and later assembled and developed a talented team that now covers affordable housing, education, energy, not-for-profit health care, public-private partnerships, and transportation. Her thoughtful and timely analyses combined with her deep relationships with investors have been critical to Wells Fargo’s growth in the municipal business. We are grateful for her dedicated leadership over the past eight years,” said Diane Schumaker-Krieg, global head of Research, Economics and Strategy for Wells Fargo Securities.

Each year since 2012, Cohen has won “first team generalist” and “first team head of municipal research” honors from Smith’s Research and Gradings. She was frequently featured on Bloomberg radio and TV — as well as the Bond Buyer, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and other financial publications.

Before joining Wells Fargo Securities, Cohen served as president of National Municipal Research, a company she founded to deliver independent research and consulting on economic, political and financial trends at the local and state levels.

Cohen has also held senior positions at Financial Security Assurance, Enhance Financial Service Group and American Capital Access. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a BA from Hampshire College.

The Municipal Research team will now report to Wells Fargo Securities Global Economist Jay Bryson, who is based in Charlotte.