Tara L. French
About Tara L. French
Tara L. French, age 62, is an independent director of BCB Bancorp, Inc., serving as Vice Chair of the Board since joining in 2024, and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; she is also a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees . A veteran banker with 35+ years’ experience, she previously served as Chief Administrative Officer and then Chief Risk Officer at a large NY/NJ community bank, retiring in 2023; her regulatory career includes examiner roles at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and supervision posts at the OTS and OCC, where she was Assistant Deputy Comptroller; she graduated from Appalachian State University and is a commissioned National Bank Examiner .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large NY/NJ community bank | Chief Administrative Officer; Chief Risk Officer | Retired 2023 | Led enterprise risk management; senior administration |
| Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) | Assistant Deputy Comptroller | Through 2017 | Federal bank supervision leadership |
| Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) | Federal bank supervision roles | Through 2017 | Regulatory oversight |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of New York | Bank Examiner | Not disclosed | Examination and oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Habitat for Humanity | Director | Not disclosed | Non-profit housing governance |
| Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation | Director | Not disclosed | Non-profit housing governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all directors except Messrs. Blake, Coughlin, Shriner, and Widmer are independent under Nasdaq standards; Ms. French is independent .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (member); Compensation Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Chair); Vice Chair of the Board .
- Committee activity and workload in FY2024:
- Audit Committee: 8 meetings .
- Compensation Committee: 7 meetings .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: 12 meetings .
- Attendance: Board met 14 times in FY2024; governance guidelines set 80% attendance expectation; proxy states all directors except Mr. DiDomenico attended at least 75%—per-director attendance figures are not disclosed .
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors meet in executive session periodically .
- Risk oversight: Full Board ALCO-Enterprise Risk Management structure; cyber governance aligned to NIST CSF 2.0 and FDIC expectations with regular briefings to the Board .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned in Cash ($) | Equity Awards ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,566 | — (no director equity awards in 2024) | Elected May 1, 2024 |
| Program elements (FY2024) | Bank annual retainer $25,000; Company annual retainer $10,000; Non-Executive Chair $75,000; committee meeting fees $300; ALCO & Audit meetings $500 |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Status | Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based director compensation | Not applicable | Non-employee directors did not receive stock awards or options in 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Public company boards | None disclosed for Ms. French |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | Committee reports no member (including Ms. French) was an officer/employee in FY2024 or had relationships requiring disclosure; no interlocking relationships requiring SEC disclosure |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commissioned National Bank Examiner with deep regulatory and risk management background; former Assistant Deputy Comptroller at the OCC .
- Senior operating and risk roles (CAO, CRO) at a large community bank, aligning skills with audit, risk oversight, and governance .
- Education: Appalachian State University; multiple accreditations across wealth management, risk, credit, and compliance .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 7,190 shares (independent director) |
| Ownership % of shares outstanding | <1% (asterisk denotes under 1%) |
| Unvested restricted stock | 4,690 shares (sole voting, no dispositive power) |
| Options (exercisable within 60 days) | None |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by employees and directors |
Section 16 Compliance (Insider Filings)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Late filings noted | One Form 4 for Ms. French was inadvertently filed late reporting one transaction in FY2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent Vice Chair with regulatory and CRO background; Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance; active committee participation across audit, comp, and governance; robust committee cadence (Audit 8; Comp 7; N&CG 12) signaling engagement .
- Alignment: Beneficial ownership (7,190 shares) with unvested equity indicates growing alignment; hedging/pledging prohibited by policy .
- Pay structure (director): Cash retainer and meeting fees, no equity awarded in 2024 reduces pay complexity and potential short-termism; fixed compensation program detailed and benchmarked by independent consultant .
- Red flags/monitoring points: One late Form 4 filing (procedural weakness); broader Board related-party leases with entities controlled by other directors (not involving Ms. French) present conflict optics—oversight effectiveness by Governance Chair is important to mitigate investor concern .
- Shareholder sentiment: Prior say-on-pay passed with ~92.7% support (2024), indicating constructive investor posture toward compensation governance framework .