Karla Radka
About Karla Radka
Independent director of Abacus Global Management, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABL); age 56; Class II director nominated for re‑election through the 2028 annual meeting; has served on the board since the July 2023 Business Combination and is affirmed independent under Nasdaq rules . President & CEO of Senior Resource Alliance since 2019; prior leadership roles include COO at Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (2015–2019), and executive roles at Florida Family Care and Community Based Care of Central Florida; founder and former executive director of Public Allies Central Florida (until 2014) . Education: B.S. and M.S. in Counseling (Central Christian University) and a mini‑MBA (Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwill Industries of Central Florida | Chief Operating Officer | 2015–2019 | Operational leadership in workforce development |
| Public Allies Central Florida | Founder & Executive Director | Until 2014 | Founded nationally recognized program; community leadership |
| Florida Family Care | Leadership role | Not disclosed | Health services leadership |
| Community Based Care of Central Florida | Leadership role | Not disclosed | Child welfare non‑profit leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Resource Alliance (Area Agency on Aging of Central FL) | President & CEO | Since 2019 | Non‑profit under contract with FL Dept. of Elder Affairs |
| Other public company boards | — | — | None disclosed in ABL proxy materials |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance; Member, Audit; Member, Compensation .
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Radka is independent under Nasdaq rule 5605(a)(2); ABL’s audit, compensation, and nominating committees consist entirely of independent directors .
- Attendance: In FY2024 the Board met 5x, Audit 4x, Compensation 2x, Nominating & Corporate Governance 1x; each director attended at least 75% of applicable meetings; six directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: CEO Jay Jackson serves as Chair; no Lead Independent Director; independent directors meet regularly in executive session; CEO succession overseen by Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee oversees financial risk; board monitors financial, technology/cybersecurity, competitive, and operational risks .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Structure / Notes | Grant Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grant (unrestricted common stock) | $75,000 | Non‑employee directors receive annual grants of unrestricted common stock; no cash retainer; reasonable travel reimbursed; no meeting fees | 2024 comp granted April 2, 2025 |
| Audit Committee Chair premium (unrestricted stock) | $15,000 | Paid only to Audit Chair (not applicable to Radka) | 2024 comp granted April 2, 2025 |
Director Compensation (FY2024):
| Name | Fees Earned (Cash) | Stock Awards | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karla Radka | $0 | $75,000 | $75,000 |
Notes: Stock awards are unrestricted common stock; grant date April 2, 2025 for compensation partially earned in FY2024 .
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Performance‑linked elements | Status |
|---|---|
| Performance RSUs/PSUs, options, TSR/EBITDA metrics, vesting schedules | Not disclosed for non‑employee directors; ABL compensates directors via unrestricted common stock only; no performance metrics for director pay |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public company directorships | None disclosed for Karla Radka |
| Committee roles at other companies | Not disclosed |
| Shared directorships with competitors/suppliers/customers | Not disclosed for Radka; company‑level related party dealings disclosed separately (see Governance Assessment) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership in social services and aging services; CEO of Senior Resource Alliance since 2019 .
- Operational leadership as COO at Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (2015–2019) .
- Founder of Public Allies Central Florida; community program development experience .
- Education includes B.S./M.S. in Counseling and mini‑MBA; complements human services, governance, and stakeholder engagement expertise .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Source / As‑of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karla Radka | 17,732 | <1% | ABL DEF 14A; as of 4/22/2025; 95,616,386 shares outstanding |
Insider Trades (Form 4):
| Date | Transaction | Shares | Price | Post‑Txn Holdings | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/02/2025 | Acquisition (Non‑Open Market) | 10,232 | $0.00 | 17,732 | Likely annual director stock grant in unrestricted common |
Policies affecting alignment:
- Hedging/pledging: Directors are prohibited from short sales, hedging, and publicly‑traded options; pledging is prohibited unless pre‑cleared by General Counsel .
- Ownership guidelines: Corporate Governance Guidelines exist, but specific director stock ownership guidelines are not detailed in proxy; hedging/pledging restrictions support alignment .
Governance Assessment
- Effectiveness and engagement: Radka chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance and serves on Audit and Compensation, positioning her to influence board refresh, evaluations, and executive pay; attendance meets threshold with board/committee meetings held regularly in FY2024 .
- Independence and oversight: Affirmed independent; all standing committees comprise independent directors; Audit Committee oversees related party review procedures, with Radka as a member, mitigating conflict risks .
- Director pay structure: Equity‑only retainer via unrestricted stock ($75k) aligns director interests with shareholders; absence of cash/meeting fees reduces pay‑for‑attendance concerns; audit chair premium not applicable to Radka .
- Shareholder support: June 12, 2025 election results for Radka show 57,506,376 For; 12,713,907 Withhold; 1,560,600 broker non‑votes, indicating solid but not unanimous support—a watchpoint for engagement trends .
- Conflicts/related parties: Company‑level related party transactions include Carlisle Acquisition (seller lockups/registration rights) and Nova Funds relationships with management; no specific related‑party transactions disclosed involving Radka personally, but her Audit/Nominating roles heighten responsibility for oversight .
- RED FLAGS: Combined Chair/CEO with no Lead Independent Director—this governance structure merits continued monitoring for independent oversight, though executive sessions of independent directors are held . No director‑specific pledging reported; company policy restricts hedging/pledging .
Board Governance (Committee Detail)
| Committee | Members | Chair | FY2024 Meetings | Key Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Schulte; Radka; van Katwijk | Schulte | 4 | External auditor oversight, financial reporting, controls, risk, related person transactions; financial literacy; “audit committee financial expert” designated |
| Compensation | Schulte; Radka; van Katwijk | Schulte | 2 | CEO and executive comp; incentive/equity plans; director compensation; consultants |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Radka; Schulte; Corbett | Radka | 1 | Board composition/structure; succession planning; annual evaluations; governance guidelines |
Other Notes on Shareholder Engagement
- Proposal One (Director Election): plurality voting; independent directors constitute the majority of the board; election process and executive sessions noted .
- Voting outcome publication: Voting results announced and filed on Form 8‑K within four business days after the annual meeting .