Paul Soma

Paul leads the firm’s Michigan municipal finance efforts. He joined Raymond James in 2019 after a 27-year career in public education, where he served as a business manager for three school systems, most recently as the superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools. Paul recognizes the challenges inherent in leading large public institutions and knows the bond-issuing process from the perspective of an “issuer.” His experience working in this environment gives him perspective and practical insight that municipalities may find helpful as they consider issuing bonds. Paul holds an accounting degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Grand Valley State University. He joins a K-12 full-service team of banking professionals backed by a powerful distribution network across Michigan. Paul is a registered CPA and holds the FINRA Series 50, 63 and 52 licenses.