Julian Coblentz
About Julian L. Coblentz
Julian L. Coblentz, age 46, has served as a director of CSB Bancorp, Inc. and The Commercial & Savings Bank since 2015; he is an independent director under NASDAQ rules, chairs CSB’s Compensation Committee, and serves on the Bank’s Executive/Loan Committee, chairs the Bank’s Asset Liability Committee (ALCO), and is a member of the Bank’s Trust Committee . He is Chief Executive Officer of Coblentz Distributing, Inc. dba Walnut Creek Foods (appointed January 2023), previously serving as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Distribution and Business Development; he is co-owner/President of Mudd Valley Foods and owner/President of Ten Talents . Earlier, he worked as a financial advisor in CSB’s trust and brokerage department (2000–2002) holding Series 7 and Series 63 licenses; he holds a B.A. from Malone College (now Malone University) with a major in Commercial Music Technology and minor in Business Administration, and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Kent State University; he is a past Trustee of the Holmes County Education Foundation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSB Bancorp, Inc. | Director; Compensation Committee Chair | 2015–present | Compensation Committee Chair; independent director; Board met 13 times in 2024; Compensation Committee met 3 times |
| The Commercial & Savings Bank | Director; ALCO Chair; Trust Committee Member; Executive/Loan Committee Member | 2015–present | ALCO Chair overseeing balance sheet, liquidity, performance; Trust Committee oversight of wealth management; Executive/Loan Committee oversight of credit risk; Bank Board met 13 times; Executive/Loan Committee met 25 times in 2024 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coblentz Distributing, Inc. dba Walnut Creek Foods | Chief Executive Officer | Jan 2023–present | Previously COO and VP of Distribution & Business Development |
| Mudd Valley Foods | Co-owner/President | Not disclosed | Private company role |
| Ten Talents | Owner/President | Not disclosed | Private company role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and chairs: Chair, CSB Compensation Committee; Member, Bank Executive/Loan; Chair, Bank ALCO; Member, Bank Trust Committee .
- Independence: Board determined Mr. Coblentz is an “independent director” under NASDAQ rules .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, each director attended more than 75% of total Board and committee meetings on which they served; all directors attended the 2024 annual shareholders’ meeting; Board met 13 times, Compensation Committee 3, Audit Committee 6, Nominating Committee 2; Bank Board 13, Executive/Loan 25 .
- Executive sessions: Non‑employee directors met in executive session twice in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
- Director pay program (Bank-level, cash only): $18,000 annual cash retainer; $750 per Board and committee meeting attended; Audit Committee Chair receives $1,000 per quarter; Chairman of the Board receives $3,000 per quarter; directors receive no compensation from CSB (holding company) .
- 2024 director compensation (cash) for Mr. Coblentz:
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian L. Coblentz | $50,250 | $0 | $50,250 |
- Chair fee note: No Compensation Committee chair cash premium is disclosed; only Audit Committee Chair and Board Chair stipends are specified .
Performance Compensation
- Equity and options: No director equity compensation (RSUs/PSUs/options) is disclosed; directors are compensated in cash for Board and committee service .
- Option/stock usage context: The Company has not used stock options for executives in 18 years; committee uses cash bonuses for executives; there is no indication of equity awards for directors in the proxy .
- Performance metrics tied to director pay: None disclosed (director compensation based on service retainer and meeting attendance) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for Mr. Coblentz .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: During 2024, none of CSB’s named executive officers or directors were members of another company’s Board in a way that constitutes a committee interlock under SEC rules .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and risk: Chairs ALCO overseeing balance sheet structure, liquidity, and performance; Executive/Loan Committee member overseeing credit risk; prior bank trust/brokerage experience with Series 7/63 licenses .
- Operations and leadership: CEO of Walnut Creek Foods; prior COO and VP roles focusing on long-term planning, people development, and operational refinements .
- Education and credentials: B.A. from Malone College/University; Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (Kent State University) .
- Community and governance: Past trustee of Holmes County Education Foundation; lifelong resident with local business knowledge .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership as of March 4, 2025:
| Holder | Sole Voting | Shared Voting | Total Shares | % of Shares Outstanding | Pledged as Collateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian L. Coblentz | 17,624 | 1,000 | 18,624 | Approximately 0.7% (18,624 / 2,644,072) | None; no pledging reported |
- Hedging/pledging policies: Code of Ethics prohibits maintaining securities in margin accounts; annual reporting of any credit secured by CSB stock, with none reported as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with significant governance responsibilities (Compensation Committee Chair) and risk oversight (ALCO Chair), indicating trust in his judgment and risk literacy .
- Documented attendance threshold (≥75%) and participation across core committees; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting, supporting engagement .
- No pledging of shares; explicit prohibition of margin accounts; annual disclosure showed no credit secured by CSB stock as of year-end 2024, reducing alignment red flags .
- No compensation committee interlocks reported for 2024, lowering conflict-of-interest risk in pay decisions .
- Compensation Committee has authority to retain independent advisors; although none were used in 2024, the chartered authority supports independence in pay oversight .
- Watch items:
- Director compensation is cash-only with no equity grants, so alignment relies on personal share ownership rather than ongoing equity awards; Mr. Coblentz’s ownership is approximately 0.7% of outstanding shares, which is meaningful for a community bank but still below 1% .
- External CEO role at Walnut Creek Foods and other private company leadership roles warrant monitoring for potential related‑party transactions; none involving Mr. Coblentz are disclosed, and director/officer loans by the Bank are stated to be on ordinary terms .
- ALCO leadership concentrates interest‑rate and liquidity oversight influence; effectiveness depends on robust risk management practices at the Bank—the committee structure exists and is active (ALCO and Executive/Loan committees meet regularly) .
- No outside executive compensation consultant engaged in 2024, which avoids consultant conflicts but may reduce external benchmarking rigor; the committee used peer survey data among similar Ohio banks .
Overall, Mr. Coblentz presents as an engaged, independent director with substantial operational and risk oversight credentials; alignment is primarily via personal ownership and committee accountability rather than equity‑based director pay, and no specific conflicts or pledging red flags are disclosed .