Steven Hooser
About Steven Hooser
Steven G. Hooser was appointed to Educational Development Corporation’s (EDUC) Board as a Class I Director on May 14, 2025, after serving as the company’s investor relations advisor for the prior three years via Three Part Advisors; the firm ceased providing IR services at the time of his appointment to mitigate conflicts . Hooser is Partner & President at Three Part Advisors, with prior research roles at First Dallas Securities and Hodges Capital, and holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas; he also serves as Board Chair of CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth . Tenure on EDUC’s board began May 14, 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Part Advisors, LLC | Partner & President | 2009–present | Founded/led IR advisory; capital markets and investor relations leadership |
| First Dallas Securities | Research Associate | 2005–2007 | Equity research support |
| Hodges Capital Management | Research Associate | 2007–2008 | Equity research support |
| Halliburton Investor Relations & Communications (HIR) | Account Manager | 2008–2009 | IR program support |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth | Board Chair | 2025–present | Long-standing board service; currently Chair |
| Three Part Advisors, LLC | Partner & President | 2009–present | Full-service IR advisory; multiple public-company clients |
Board Governance
- Appointment and classification: Added as a Class I Director on May 14, 2025; will be included on the 2026 proxy ballot .
- Committees: Expected to serve on the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees with the independent directors .
- Chair roles: None disclosed for Hooser; current Audit Committee chair/financial expert is Bradley V. Stoots; Stoots also chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: The 2025 proxy lists Neal, Stoots, and Emerson as independent; Hooser’s appointment language places him alongside independent directors on committees and terminated his firm’s IR engagement to address independence/conflict considerations .
- Board leadership: CEO Craig M. White is Chairman; Stoots serves as lead independent director .
- Attendance: Board held four meetings in FY2025; all independent directors attended the annual meeting; Hooser’s meeting attendance is not yet disclosed due to timing of appointment .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Structure | FY2025 Amounts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board meeting fee (cash) | $400 per Board meeting attended | Policy disclosed; individual counts not itemized for Hooser | Standard arrangement for non-officer directors |
| Committee meeting fee (cash) | $150 per separate committee meeting attended | Policy disclosed; individual counts not itemized for Hooser | Standard arrangement |
In FY2025, director cash fees are presented for sitting independent directors (Neal, Emerson, Stoots); Hooser’s appointment occurred after fiscal year-end and is not reflected in the 2025 proxy’s director comp table .
| Director | Fees earned (cash) | Stock awards | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Kara Gae Neal | $1,600 | $4,280 | $5,880 |
| Dr. Amy N. Emerson | $1,200 | $4,080 | $5,280 |
| Bradley V. Stoots | $1,600 | $4,280 | $5,880 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity grants | Grant date | Units | Fair value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 director equity | FY2025 (aggregate disclosed) | 6,000 total shares; 2,000 per director (Neal, Emerson, Stoots) | $12,640 total | Not specified for directors | Company states grants “from time to time”; no formal director equity policy |
| Hooser equity (Form 4) | 2025-10-15 | 4,000 shares | $1.26 per share ($5,040) | Not disclosed | Filing note indicates issuance as Board compensation |
Performance metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue growth) are not used for director pay at EDUC; the STI/LTI plans described in the proxy apply to executives, not directors –.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Type | Role | Potential interlock/conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Part Advisors, LLC | Private | Partner & President | Prior IR advisor to EDUC; firm ceased services upon Hooser’s appointment |
| CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth | Non-profit/professional | Board Chair | No company-related transactions disclosed |
No other public-company directorships disclosed for Hooser as of this report.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Capital markets and investor relations expertise from >20 years of experience; senior IR advisory leadership at Three Part Advisors .
- Equity research background (First Dallas Securities, Hodges Capital) .
- Education: BBA in Finance, UT Dallas; NMMI attendance on golf scholarship .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares owned | % of shares outstanding | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven G. Hooser | 4,000 | ~0.0466% (4,000 / 8,583,201) | Shares outstanding 8,583,201 (record date May 12, 2025) ; Hooser holdings (Form 4) |
- Vested vs. unvested; options: Not disclosed for directors; outstanding equity awards table only covers NEOs in 2025 proxy .
- Pledging/hedging: No pledging or hedging disclosures for Hooser; the proxy notes no Code of Ethics waivers in FY2025 .
- Ownership guidelines: No director stock ownership guidelines disclosed in the 2025 proxy.
Insider Trades
| Date | Type | Shares | Price | Value | Footnote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-15 | Acquisition (Form 4) | 4,000 | $1.26 | $5,040 | Note indicates issuance as Board compensation |
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments and effectiveness: Hooser is expected to help staff all key independent committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Governance), which are fully independent per NASDAQ rules; Audit Committee chaired by a financial expert (Stoots), with regular quarterly oversight meetings . This breadth of committee exposure supports board workload distribution and independent oversight.
- Independence and conflicts: RED FLAG addressed—prior role as EDUC’s IR advisor via Three Part Advisors; conflict mitigated by terminating the advisory engagement upon his appointment . Continued leadership at Three Part Advisors warrants ongoing monitoring to ensure no indirect related-party transactions.
- Attendance/engagement signals: FY2025 board met four times; independent directors attended the annual meeting; Hooser appointment occurred post-fiscal year—attendance not yet disclosed .
- Ownership alignment: Initial 4,000-share holding is small (<0.1%), but Form 4 acquisition tied to board compensation demonstrates early alignment; monitor future open-market purchases vs. compensation issuances to assess “skin-in-the-game” trajectory .
- Committee interlocks: Company discloses no compensation committee interlocks or insider participation in FY2025, reducing risk of reciprocal pay-setting .
- Board structure: CEO/Chair duality persists; lead independent director role (Stoots) preserves independent oversight; independent committees and executive sessions bolster governance –.
Overall signal: Appointment strengthens committee capacity and capital markets expertise; prior vendor relationship was addressed at onboarding. Key watch items are any renewed external engagements with EDUC, future director equity grant policies, and disclosure of attendance/role-specific contributions in the 2026 proxy.
References
- Appointment and committees: EDUC 8-K (Item 5.02) May 19, 2025 .
- Proxy governance, independence, committee charters, director compensation FY2025: DEF 14A (May 22, 2025) .
- Annual meeting outcomes (FY2025): 8-K Item 5.07 (July 8, 2025) .
- Insider trades (Form 4): SEC ownership XML (Oct 16, 2025), StockTitan summary .
- Background and external roles: Three Part Advisors profile; LinkedIn profile .