John Neuhauser
About John J. Neuhauser
Independent Trustee/Director of Liberty All-Star Funds since 1998; year of birth 1943. Former President of Saint Michael’s College (2007–2018) and prior senior roles at Boston College (Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculties, 1999–2005; University Professor, Dec 2005–2007). Currently nominated to continue service, with Equity Fund trustee tenure proposed through 2028 and Growth Fund director term expiring 2027. Oversees 2 portfolios in the Fund Complex; no other public company directorships disclosed.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Michael’s College | President | 2007–2018 | Higher-education executive leadership; governance experience relevant to fund oversight |
| Boston College | Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculties | 1999–2005 | Senior academic administration; organizational management |
| Boston College | University Professor | Dec 2005–2007 | Academic leadership; policy and governance exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other public company boards | — | None | “Other Directorships Held: None” |
Board Governance
- Independence: All Trustees/Directors of both Funds are independent (not “interested persons”); Brock serves as independent Chairman of each Board.
- Committees: Member, Audit Committee; the Audit Committees are entirely independent and each member is determined financially literate.
- Committee Chair: Chairman, Nominating & Governance Committee (expanded to six independent members in 2024 with Hoopes added); met twice in FY2024.
- Attendance and engagement: FY2024 included four Board meetings for each Fund and four Audit Committee meetings (jointly held); all Trustees/Directors attended all meetings except Mr. Brock missed the August 2024 Audit Committee meeting. The Funds have no formal policy on attendance at annual shareholder meetings; none of the Trustees/Directors attended the 2024 annual meetings.
- Terms and tenure: Equity Fund: Trustee since 1998; term expires 2025 (nominated for tenure through 2028). Growth Fund: Director since 1998; term expires 2027.
- Executive sessions: Independent Trustees/Directors hold at least one in‑person meeting annually without management present.
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from Equity Fund ($) | 64,720 | 74,076 |
| Aggregate Compensation from Growth Fund ($) | 24,280 | 26,924 |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex ($) | 89,000 | 101,000 |
Neither Fund has a bonus, profit sharing or retirement plan.
Performance Compensation
| Plan/Metric | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Bonus plan | None |
| Profit sharing | None |
| Retirement plan | None |
No performance-based (revenue/EBITDA/TSR/ESG) incentive structure is disclosed for Independent Trustees/Directors; compensation review conducted by the Nominating & Governance Committee.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Prior public company boards | None disclosed |
| Interlocks with competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed |
| Fund Complex oversight | 2 portfolios |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Investment company governance: Multiple years as investment company trustee/director; boards’ annual self-evaluations and risk oversight engagement with CCO, auditors, independent counsel.
- Financial literacy: Determined financially literate for Audit Committee service per NYSE and SEC standards.
- Higher‑education executive leadership: Former university president and senior academic administrator, bringing organizational and governance expertise to board duties.
Equity Ownership
- Dollar range of beneficial ownership (as of Dec 31, 2024):
- Equity Fund: $100,001–$500,000
- Growth Fund: $10,001–$50,000
- Aggregate across Family of Investment Companies: $100,001–$500,000
- Shares owned by year: | Fund | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | |---|---:|---:| | Equity Fund (shares) | 18,448 | 20,841 | | Growth Fund (shares) | 3,057 | 3,345 |
- Ownership as % of shares outstanding: Each Trustee and all Trustees/Executive Officers as a group owned less than 1% of each Fund’s outstanding shares (as of Dec 31, 2024).
Insider Trades
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Form 4 transactions (past fiscal year) | Not disclosed in the proxy; proxy notes no Trustee/Director purchased or sold securities exceeding 1% of the outstanding securities of any class of shares of AAI or any Portfolio Manager or their parents/subsidiaries since the beginning of the most recent fiscal year. |
Governance Assessment
- Positives
- Independence and committee leadership: Independent director with long tenure, serving as Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee and member of independent Audit Committee; audit members deemed financially literate.
- Attendance: Present at all FY2024 Board and Audit Committee meetings (no absences recorded for Neuhauser).
- Ownership alignment: Direct personal holdings in both Funds with increased share counts year-over-year (Equity Fund and Growth Fund).
- Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Annual meeting engagement: No Trustees/Directors (including Neuhauser) attended the 2024 annual meetings; the Funds have no formal attendance policy for annual shareholder meetings.
- Tenure/refreshment: Very long tenure (since 1998); committee expanded in 2024 (addition of Hoopes), but ongoing refreshment merits monitoring.
- Compensation trend: Total compensation increased from $89,000 in FY2023 to $101,000 in FY2024; compensation structure appears cash‑based with no bonus/profit sharing/retirement plans.
Overall, Neuhauser’s governance profile reflects independent oversight, strong committee leadership, full meeting attendance, and meaningful personal investment in the Funds, balanced against limited direct public company board exposure and low annual‑meeting participation.