Maria Echaveste
About Maria Echaveste
Maria Echaveste, age 70, has served on the Cadiz Inc. Board since 2019. She is President & CEO of the Opportunity Institute and has a distinguished public policy and leadership background, including service as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and numerous academic and advisory roles at UC Berkeley .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The White House | Assistant to the President; Deputy Chief of Staff | 1998–2001 | Led policy on immigration, civil rights, education, finance, Mexico and Latin America . |
| U.S. Dept. of Labor | Administrator, Wage and Hour Division | 1993–1997 | Oversight of national labor standards enforcement . |
| U.S. Dept. of State | Special Representative to Bolivia | 2009 | Appointed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . |
| California International Trade & Investment Advisory Committee | Vice-Chair | 2015–2017 | Appointment by Governor Brown . |
| UC Berkeley (Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute) | Program & Policy Director (Law School) | 2006–2012 | Public policy research and leadership . |
| UC Berkeley (CLAS; Food Institute) | Senior Fellow; Visiting Scholar | Senior Fellow since 2008; Visiting Scholar 2015–2016 | Academic engagements in policy and food systems . |
| UC Berkeley (Law; Undergraduate) | Lecturer | Various since 2004 | Lectured on immigration and education . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Familia Vota | Director | Current | Civic engagement and voting rights advocacy . |
| UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals | Director | Current | Non-profit healthcare oversight . |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Echaveste is independent under Nasdaq and SEC standards; all standing committees are fully independent .
- Lead Independent Director and executive sessions: Independent directors held executive sessions at each regular Board meeting in 2024, enhancing oversight .
- Committee assignments:
- Corporate Governance & Nominating – Chair; members: Echaveste, Courter, Dreyfus; met once in 2024 (all present) .
- Equity, Sustainability & Environmental Justice (ESEJ) – Member; met three times in 2024 (all present except Hickox missed one) .
- Board and committee attendance (2024):
| Body | Meetings Held | Echaveste Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | 5 | 5/5 (all incumbents present except one director) |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating | 1 | 1/1 |
| ESEJ | 3 | 3/3 (no absence recorded for Echaveste) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer (annual) | $75,500 | $75,000 | Policy is $75,000 per 12 months, paid quarterly; directors may elect stock in lieu of cash . |
| Equity (annual RSUs at grant-date fair value) | $25,000 | $25,000 | Annual RSUs valued at $25,000 each June 30; prorated if partial year . |
| Total | $100,000 | $100,000 | Standard non-employee director package . |
- Director Compensation Policy: $75,000 annual cash retainer paid in quarterly installments; $25,000 annual RSU grant each June 30; option to take cash fees in stock; RSUs vest/deliver on January 31 following the grant period .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Cadence | 2024 Value/Units | Vesting Schedule | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director RSUs | Annual (June 30) | $25,000 value (units based on average closing price prior month) | RSUs vest/deliver on January 31 following June 30 service period | None; director RSUs are time-based (no TSR/financial goals) . |
- Equity plan governance features: No option repricing without shareholder approval; dividend equivalents subject to same vesting; director award “fair value” cap of $100,000; robust clawback policy (Rule 10D-1) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed . |
| Private/non-profit boards | Mi Familia Vota; UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals . |
| Interlocks with CDZI competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed; no related-party transactions involving Echaveste reported . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Public policy and regulatory expertise; extensive community engagement; academic leadership; legal background (attorney) .
- Board skills matrix indicates contributions in public policy/water policy/regulatory and community engagement relevant to Cadiz’s mission .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Common | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Echaveste | 31,415 | <1% | April 17, 2025 . |
- Ownership policies and risk alignment:
- Director Stock Ownership Policy encourages stock ownership (no multiple specified) .
- Anti-hedging and pledging policy prohibits hedging and pledging without prior approval, supporting alignment with shareholders .
- No shares pledged by Echaveste disclosed; no insider loans or related-party transactions with Echaveste reported .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Echaveste chairs the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee, directly shaping board composition, evaluation, and governance principles; her public policy and stakeholder experience aligns with Cadiz’s regulatory and community engagement needs .
- Independence & attendance: Fully independent and demonstrated strong engagement with perfect attendance in 2024 Board and committee meetings where recorded .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix is conventional (cash + time-based RSUs) with modest equity, a cap on director grant “fair value,” anti-hedging rules, and clawback governance; no meeting fees or outsized equity awards disclosed .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No transactions involving Echaveste reported; principal financing relationships disclosed involve a large shareholder (Heerema Group) but not Echaveste personally .
- Oversight signals: Independent executive sessions at each regular Board meeting and robust committee independence indicate strong governance discipline .
RED FLAGS
- None specific to Echaveste disclosed: no low attendance, related-party transactions, pledging/hedging, or unusual director pay practices. Monitor board’s post-2025 designation of a new ESEJ chair for continuity and oversight strength .