Tamara L. Slater
About Tamara L. Slater
Tamara L. Slater, age 64, is an independent director of Central Plains Bancshares, Inc. (CPBI), serving since 2019 and nominated to continue for a three-year term at the 2025 annual meeting. She is retired, having been CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska for over 12 years and previously VP of Organizational Development & Administrative Services at Chief Automotive Systems (a Dover company) for over 20 years, bringing budget, accounting, HR, and large-scale organizational leadership experience to the board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Over 12 years | Led hundreds of employees; budget/accounting and HR experience |
| Chief Automotive Systems (Dover Company) | VP, Organizational Development & Administrative Services | Over 20 years | Organizational leadership and HR expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Grand Island (CPBI subsidiary) | Director | Concurrent with CPBI board service | All CPBI directors also serve on Home Federal’s board |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined all directors except the Chair (Steven D. Kunzman) are independent under Nasdaq standards; Slater is independent .
- Committee assignments:
- Audit Committee member; committee met 4 times in FY ended Mar 31, 2025; chair is Joseph P. Stump; Slater is not designated an “audit committee financial expert” (Oltean and Stump are) .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee chair; committee met once in FY ended Mar 31, 2025 .
- Attendance/engagement:
- Board held 10 regular meetings in FY ended Mar 31, 2025; no director attended fewer than 75% of board and committee meetings .
- Board held two regular meetings in FY ended Mar 31, 2024; likewise, no director was below 75% attendance .
- Board leadership: Combined Chair/CEO in 2024; separated roles by 2025 to enhance oversight (still reviewed periodically) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 | FY 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer (Fees Earned or Paid in Cash) | $19,500 | $19,500 | Home Federal director annual fee was $19,500 in FY 2024 ; increased to $20,000 policy by FY 2025, but Slater’s reported FY 2025 cash fees were $19,500 . |
| Subsidiary director fee (First Service Corp.) | $1,500 (policy) | $1,750 (policy) | Policy amounts; individual paid amounts not itemized beyond cash line . |
| Meeting/committee fees | $0 | $0 | No additional fees for board or committee meetings . |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Mechanics | Units/Terms | FY 2025 Fair Value | Vesting | Expiration/Exercise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock | Self-executing grant the day after stockholders approved the 2024 Equity Plan | 8,261 shares | $118,958 | Time-based over 5 years, 20% per year; dividends withheld until vest | |
| Stock Options | Self-executing grant the day after stockholders approved the 2024 Equity Plan | 20,654 options | $110,054 | Time-based over 5 years, 20% per year | |
| Option strike/term | Exercise price = closing price on grant date; 10-year term | Not performance-based for initial director grants | N/A | N/A | Exercise price set at market on grant date; options may be exercised up to 10 years |
- Equity Plan safeguards: No option repricing or cash buyouts of underwater options without stockholder approval; one-year minimum vesting (95% of awards); double-trigger change-in-control vesting; awards subject to clawback (Dodd-Frank 954) and hedging/pledging restrictions .
- Change-in-control: Time-based vesting satisfied upon change-in-control plus involuntary termination/resignation for “good reason,” or if acquirer fails to assume awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No other public company board service disclosed for Slater; no interlocks with competitors/suppliers/customers identified in the proxy biographies .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Provides budget/accounting and human resources expertise; oversight of hundreds of employees in prior roles .
- Governance roles: Audit Committee member; chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee overseeing board composition, effectiveness assessment, and governance guidelines .
- Not designated as an “audit committee financial expert” (designation given to Oltean and Stump) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Oct 16, 2024 | As of Jul 11, 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 2,000 | 10,261 | 2025 total includes 8,261 unvested restricted shares |
| Unvested restricted stock | 0 | 8,261 | Granted under 2024 Equity Plan; vests 20% annually |
| Unvested stock options | 0 | 20,654 | Granted under 2024 Equity Plan; 10-year term |
| Ownership % of outstanding | Less than 1% | Less than 1% | Total shares outstanding: 4,130,815 (Oct 16, 2024) and 4,222,978 (Jul 11, 2025) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Equity plan restricts hedging/pledging in policy |
| Section 16 filings timeliness | No late filings reported | No late filings reported | Company reported timely ownership filings |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Slater is independent; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance, indicating engagement in board composition and effectiveness; meets attendance expectations; serves on Audit Committee, contributing oversight of financial reporting; equity plan includes strong investor-aligned safeguards (double-trigger CIC vesting, no repricing, clawbacks) .
- Alignment: 2025 director pay mix is heavily equity-based (restricted stock and options totaling $229,012 fair value vs $19,500 cash), supporting long-term alignment; her ownership increased post-plan approval, including unvested equity tied to continued service .
- Conflicts/related party: The company reports no related-party transactions >$120,000 since April 1, 2022 (2025 proxy) or since April 1, 2021 (2024 proxy), aside from ordinary-course loans at market terms; no specific related-party exposure disclosed for Slater .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Slater—no low attendance, no related-party transactions, no pledging/hedging disclosed; initial director equity awards were partly in recognition of past service but are time-based and vest over five years, which tempers pay inflation concerns .