William Weatherford
Director at DFH
Board
About William W. Weatherford
William W. Weatherford, age 45, is an independent director of Dream Finders Homes (DFH) and a member of the Audit Committee. He is Managing Partner of Weatherford Capital (co-founded in 2015) and previously served as the 84th Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 2012 (youngest presiding officer of any state legislative chamber at the time), serving in the legislature from 2006–2014. He is nominated for re‑election at the June 9, 2025 annual meeting and has been determined independent by the Board under NYSE rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida House of Representatives | Member; 84th Speaker (youngest U.S. state chamber presiding officer at the time) | 2006–2014; Speaker in 2012 | Focused on social mobility, free enterprise, education reform |
| Sunshine Bancorp, Inc. (public) | Director | 2015–2018 | Public company board experience |
| Mallard Acquisition Corp. (public) | Director | 2020–2022 | Public company board experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Weatherford Capital | Managing Partner; Co‑founder | Current |
| University of South Florida | Chairman, Board of Trustees | Current |
| GuideWell | Director | Current |
| PayIt | Director | Current |
| Utility, Inc. | Director | Current |
| Florida Council of 100 | Board member | Current |
| American Enterprise Institute | Board member | Current |
| Super Bowl LV Host Committee (Tampa) | Co‑Chair | Prior engagement |
Board Governance
- Independence and structure: DFH is a “controlled company” (CEO/Chair holds majority voting power) but has elected not to use NYSE governance exemptions; Board has no lead director. Weatherford is independent per NYSE standards .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (committee of independent, financially literate directors; Sturm and Udelhofen are designated financial experts) .
- Meetings and engagement: Board met 6 times in 2024; Audit Committee met 5 times; all directors attended the 2024 shareholder meeting (in person or virtually) .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee oversees financial reporting, internal control, regulatory compliance, and related‑party approvals; Weatherford is a signatory to the Audit Committee report .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Equity Awards ($) | Total ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 60,000 | 100,019 | 160,019 | 2024 program: $50k annual cash retainer; $100k RSUs vest over 1 year; committee retainers: Audit Chair $35k, other Chairs $15k, committee members $10k |
| 2023 | 57,500 | 92,457 | 149,957 | 2023 program: $50k cash; $75k RSUs vest over 3 years; committee retainers: Audit Chair $25k; other Chairs $15k; members $10k |
| 2025 (policy) | Option to take retainers in RSUs | 125,000 (annual RSU) | N/A | 2025 changes: Audit Chair retainer to $50k; other Chairs to $20k; RSU value to $125k; one‑year vest |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Equity Vehicle | Grant Value ($) | Vesting | Performance Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | RSUs (non‑employee director grant) | 100,000 target; 100,019 reported fair value | Vests over 1 year | None (time‑based only) |
| 2023 | RSUs (non‑employee director grant) | 75,000 target; 92,457 reported fair value | Vests over 3 years | None (time‑based only) |
| 2025 (policy) | RSUs | 125,000 policy target | Vests over 1 year | None (time‑based only) |
DFH does not tie director compensation to performance metrics; equity is time‑vested RSUs to align director and shareholder interests .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current private/mission‑driven boards: GuideWell, PayIt, Utility, Inc., University of South Florida, Florida Council of 100, AEI. No disclosed DFH supply/customer interlocks .
- Prior public boards: Sunshine Bancorp, Inc. (2015–2018); Mallard Acquisition Corp. (2020–2022) .
- No DFH‑disclosed related‑party transactions involving Weatherford .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Governance, financial and risk management expertise spanning two decades; managing partner investor/operator experience .
- Legislative leadership (Speaker of Florida House), with policy focus on social mobility via free enterprise and education reform .
- Audit oversight experience via DFH Audit Committee service .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class A | Unvested RSUs (scheduled) | Pledged/Hedged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2025 | 8,459 | <1% | 9,360 (2,457 vest 3/8/2026; 6,903 vest 3/5/2026) | None disclosed for Weatherford; company allows pledging (≤30% with pre‑clearance) and hedging with pre‑clearance/Board approval |
| Apr 12, 2024 | 2,458 | <1% | 8,458 (4,915 vest 3/8/2025 & 3/8/2026; 3,543 vest 3/6/2025) | None disclosed for Weatherford; anti‑hedging policy in effect at that time |
- Director stock ownership guidelines: 5x annual cash retainer; all non‑employee directors were in compliance as of Apr 11, 2025 (Weatherford included) .
- Insider filings: Company states Section 16(a) compliance for 2024 across officers/directors; only a late filing noted for the CEO (not Weatherford) .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director on Audit Committee overseeing financial reporting, internal control, and related‑party approvals; Weatherford signed the Audit Committee report .
- Material external governance and policy experience; prior public company board service supports board effectiveness .
- Ownership alignment: time‑vested RSUs plus stock ownership policy (5x retainer), with company reporting full compliance by non‑employee directors .
- Engagement: Board met six times in 2024; Audit met five times; full board attendance at 2024 shareholder meeting .
-
Watch items for investor confidence (contextual, not specific to Weatherford):
- Controlled company status (majority voting power held by CEO/Chair), though DFH currently does not use NYSE controlled‑company exemptions .
- Policy shift: DFH moved from an anti‑hedging prohibition (2024 proxy) to allowing hedging/monetization arrangements with pre‑clearance and approval by non‑participating board members (2025 proxy). Pledging up to 30% of holdings allowed with pre‑clearance. Weatherford has no disclosed hedging/pledging, but the policy posture warrants monitoring .
- No Weatherford‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed; DFH does have significant related‑party structures with DF Capital involving other insiders (not Weatherford), with Audit Committee oversight and pre‑approved criteria .
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Bottom line: Weatherford’s profile (Audit Committee member, independent status, governance/financial risk expertise, and director‑level equity alignment) is generally supportive of board effectiveness and investor confidence. Key governance risk factors at DFH (controlled company structure; permissive hedging/pledging policy) are firm‑level considerations to monitor rather than Weatherford‑specific issues .