John P. Peetz, III
BUCKLEAbout John P. Peetz, III
Independent director of The Buckle, Inc. (BKE), age 75, serving on the Board since June 2, 2006. Currently of counsel at Peetz & Company; prior legal and transportation-operations background with Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking. The Board cites his distribution and financial insights; he is designated independent under NYSE standards and owns 25,123 BKE shares (<1% of outstanding) as of March 28, 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crete Carrier Corporation | Executive Vice President | 1991–May 2010 | Senior leadership at one of the largest private U.S. trucking companies; distribution and financial expertise |
| Shaffer Trucking (Crete Carrier division) | President | Through Dec 2014 (retired) | Led refrigerated carrier division; operations oversight |
| Crete Carrier Corporation & affiliates | General Counsel | 1988–1991 | Legal oversight; corporate governance foundation |
| Peetz, Peetz & Sonntag (Sidney, NE) | Attorney (private practice) | Pre-1988 | Legal practice experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peetz & Company (Lincoln, NE) | Of Counsel | Current | Strategic counsel in government and corporate affairs |
No other public company directorships disclosed .
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; member of neither Audit nor Nominating, Governance, and Corporate Social Responsibility (NGCSR) Committees per committee roster .
- Compensation Committee membership: Peetz (Chair), Hank M. Bounds, Bill L. Fairfield, Bruce L. Hoberman (as signed in the Committee Report) .
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE standards (non-employee director) .
- Attendance/engagement: Fiscal 2024 Board held 4 meetings; Compensation Committee held 5; no director missed >25% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; all directors attended the June 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-employee directors meet in executive session following each quarterly Board meeting; chair rotates alphabetically .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Period/Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Director) | $60,000 | Effective April 2024 | Paid quarterly; increased from $40,000 |
| Compensation Committee Chair fee | $3,000 per quarter | Effective April 2024 | Increased from $2,000 per quarter |
| Fees earned (Peetz) | $72,000 | Fiscal 2024 | Cash retainer + chair fees |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Shares | Vesting | Grant-Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Restricted Stock (non-employee directors) | Feb 2025 | 3,000 | 1,000 immediate; 1,000 at 1st anniversary; 1,000 at 2nd anniversary | Not disclosed per-director for 2025; plan described |
| Director Restricted Stock (fiscal 2024 grant) | Fiscal 2024 | 2,250 (plan level) | Time-based vesting per plan | $85,455 (Peetz) |
Performance metrics tied to director compensation: None; director equity is time-based restricted stock. No options outstanding for directors as of Feb 1, 2025 .
Director Compensation (Fiscal 2024)
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| John P. Peetz, III | 72,000 | 85,455 | 157,455 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Overlap/Interlock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | Public company board | — | No public company boards or disclosed interlocks |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal and governance foundation (former General Counsel); senior operations leadership in large-scale logistics (EVP, Crete Carrier; President, Shaffer Trucking).
- Board states he provides insight on distribution and financial matters; designated independent; contributes to compensation governance .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | As-of Date | Ownership Policy Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John P. Peetz, III | 25,123 | <1% | March 28, 2025 | Director policy requires 10,000 shares within 5 years (adopted March 2024); Peetz exceeds requirement |
Policy notes:
- Stock Ownership Policy adopted March 2024; non-employee directors must own 10,000 shares within 5 years after the first record date following adoption .
- Insider Trading Policy enhanced (June 2023) to prohibit hedging/short-swing trades and require pre-clearance/10b5-1 oversight .
Governance Assessment
- Peetz’s independence and role as Compensation Committee Chair are positives for pay governance discipline; committee meets regularly and produces formal reports; no missed meeting thresholds and participation at the Annual Meeting indicate engagement .
- Director pay mix reflects balanced alignment: cash retainer increased in 2024, plus chair stipends; equity grants increased in 2025 (3,000 shares vs. 2,250 historically), reinforcing long-term alignment; Peetz’s personal holdings exceed ownership guideline .
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Peetz; Section 16(a) compliance for directors was timely except late filings for Fairfield and Molczyk (not Peetz), supporting investor confidence in his compliance .
RED FLAGS and context for investors:
- Founder/Chairman Daniel J. Hirschfeld owns ~31.7% of shares, which can concentrate influence; loans outstanding to a Hirschfeld family trust are a related-party exposure at the company level, underscoring the importance of strong independent oversight from committees chaired by directors like Peetz .
- Family relationships in management (CEO’s son-in-law is CFO; CEO’s daughter is VP of Men’s Merchandising) may elevate perceived conflict risk; the Compensation Committee’s independence and policies (clawback, ownership) are critical mitigants .
Potential conflicts or related-party exposure for Peetz: None disclosed in the proxy .
Independence, attendance, and engagement: Independent; met attendance standards; attended annual meeting; participates in executive sessions each quarter .
Director compensation structure and trends: 2024 cash retainer/fees increased; 2025 equity grant increased; no options; time-based RS grants only .
All information and figures cited above are sourced from The Buckle, Inc. 2025 Definitive Proxy Statement –.