Hinson M. Thomas
About Hinson M. Thomas
Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Community West Bank, effective March 17, 2025; oversees Credit Administration, manages company-wide credit quality, and serves on the Executive Managing Committee . Brings 30+ years in credit risk management, commercial banking and lending; earned a B.S. in Business Management and an MBA from California State University, San Jose, and completed the Pacific Coast Banking School postgraduate program . Age not disclosed; tenure began March 2025 . Company performance context during the most recent years is shown below:
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income ($USD Millions) | 28.401 | 26.645 | 26.645 | 7.666 |
| Company TSR (Value of $100) | 143 | 149 | 162 | 144 |
| Peer Group TSR (Value of $100) | 137 | 127 | 127 | 143 |
| Avg. Non-Brokered Deposits ($USD Millions) | 1,975 | 2,156 | 2,063 | 2,367 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| California-based community bank | EVP, Chief Credit Officer | Most recently prior to Mar-2025 | Led credit risk management; built strong teams; nurtured commercial/SMB/community relationships |
External Roles
No external board or public company directorships disclosed in the appointment press release .
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for Hinson M. Thomas in the 2025 DEF 14A (NEO coverage is limited to CEO, President, CFO, CRO, and CBO for 2024) . No CWBC Item 5.02 8-K filing detailing his compensation was identified; the appointment was announced via press release .
Performance Compensation
The company’s short-term incentive framework for NEOs uses financial and risk metrics with defined thresholds/targets/max and straight-line interpolation between levels; Hinson’s specific metric set and targets are not disclosed . 2024 actual results and payouts under the enterprise framework are shown below for context:
| Metric | Target (100% payout) | Actual | Payout % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Consolidated Income ($USD Thousands) | 28,273 | 28,366 (adjusted) | 101% |
| YTD Avg Loans Outstanding ($USD Thousands) | 2,029,979 | 1,980,000 (adjusted) | 88% |
| YTD Avg Total Deposits ($USD Thousands) | 2,407,248 | 2,500,000 (adjusted) | 119% |
| Classified/Criticized Loans / Gross Loans (%) | 7.50% | 3.10% | 150% |
| NIE / Avg Assets (%) | 2.51% | 2.59% (adjusted) | 70% |
| Peer ROA Percentile | 60th | 25th | — (below threshold) |
| Leadership & Shareholder Value (CEO-only) | Qualitative | 150% achieved |
Adjustments excluded merger-related expenses and investment portfolio restructuring impacts; committee deemed them strategically beneficial and did not penalize 2024 payouts .
No RSU/PSU grants or option awards for Hinson are disclosed; outstanding awards tables and grant schedules cover NEOs only .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock ownership policy requires each executive management committee member to own a minimum of 2,000 CWBC shares separate from grants, within the later of five years from adoption or executive appointment; all directors and NEOs were compliant as of 12/31/2024. Compliance for Hinson (appointed Mar-2025) is not yet disclosed .
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies are maintained, reducing alignment risks from derivatives or collateral pledging of CWBC stock .
- Robust clawback policy effective Dec 1, 2023 requires recoupment of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation from covered executives over the prior three completed fiscal years in the event of a restatement .
| Alignment Policy | Requirement / Scope |
|---|---|
| Ownership guideline | 2,000 shares; deadline is later of 5 years from adoption or appointment |
| Anti-hedging/anti-pledging | Hedging and pledging of CWBC stock prohibited |
| Clawback | 3-year lookback for restatement-related recoupment; applies to incentive comp of senior executives |
Employment Terms
No employment agreement for Hinson is disclosed in the 2025 proxy or a current 8‑K filing. General terms for executive employment agreements at CWBC (as context) include: change-in-control lump sum of 18× average monthly total cash compensation for executive VPs (24× for certain roles), 12 months of severance for termination without cause or for good reason absent change-in-control, restricted share grants, automobile allowance, confidentiality obligations, and a one-year post-termination non-compete/non-solicit regarding confidential information use .
| Provision (General Executive Agreements) | Terms |
|---|---|
| Change-in-control payout | 18× average monthly total cash compensation for EVPs; 24× for specified executives |
| Termination without cause / good reason | 12 months of average monthly cash compensation; ceases upon comparable employment |
| Equity vesting on CoC | Unvested restricted stock and stock options vest immediately on change-in-control |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | One year post-termination restrictions tied to confidential information use |
| Automobile allowance / benefits | Provided per agreement; health and welfare benefits consistent with policy |
Investment Implications
- New CCO with deep credit risk credentials should strengthen credit governance and portfolio quality, a key driver for loan loss provisioning and capital ratios; his mandate includes oversight of credit administration and company-wide credit quality .
- Alignment/reputational risk appears contained by strong governance (ownership guideline, anti-hedging/pledging, clawback); however, his individual equity ownership, grant schedules, and cash incentive targets are not yet disclosed—monitor the next proxy and any 8‑K 5.02 filings for compensation, severance, and equity awards .
- Insider selling pressure cannot be assessed without Form 4 data or grant vesting schedules; absence of pledging permitted reduces one red flag, but watch for future grants and vesting calendars under the 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan once approved .
- Company performance entering his tenure shows 2024 net income depressed by merger-related costs, with strong loan and deposit growth; credit outcomes (classified/criticized ratio) were favorable in 2024 under incentive metrics—sustaining this under his leadership would be a positive signal for asset quality and ROA trajectory .