Junetta Everett
About Junetta Everett
Junetta M. Everett (age 69) has served on Equity Bancshares’ Board since 2020. She is a longtime dental benefits executive, joining Delta Dental of Kansas in 1987 and serving 26 years as VP, Provider Relations, with additional leadership at Surency Life & Health; she holds BA and BS degrees from Wichita State University and is designated RDH . Everett’s tenure includes 2020 Board Chair of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Health Foundation Board Chair, and appointment by the Kansas Governor to the WSU Board of Trustees in 2021 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Dental of Kansas (DDKS) | Vice President, Provider Relations | Joined 1987; served 26 years | Directed provider network functions including training, contracting, compliance, audits, and relationship-building |
| Surency Life & Health (DDKS subsidiary) | VP, Provider Relations | Not specified | Administered ancillary products across five states |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce | Board Chair; Vice Chair of DEI | Chair in 2020 | Civic leadership and DEI oversight |
| Kansas Health Foundation | Board Chair; prior Finance Chair; Audit & Governance member | Not specified | Nonprofit governance and finance oversight |
| Sedgwick County District 2 Advisory Board | Member | Not specified | Local advisory role |
| Wichita State University Foundation | Board; National Advisory Council | Not specified | Higher education foundation governance |
| Wichita State University Board of Trustees | Trustee | Appointed 2021 | Gubernatorial appointment |
Board Governance
- Independence: Everett is an independent director under NYSE rules (non-independent directors are Elliott, Hutton, Kossover) .
- Committee assignments: Risk Committee member (not Chair) .
- Board and executive sessions: In 2024 the Board held 8 regular and 2 special meetings; the Board met in 8 executive sessions and the independent directors also met 8 times; all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate Board+committee meetings . All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (April 23, 2024) .
- Leadership structure: CEO serves as Chair; presiding director for executive sessions is Shawn D. Penner (Chair of Corporate Governance Committee) .
| Governance Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Board regular meetings | 8 | 8 |
| Board special meetings | 2 | 2 |
| Executive sessions of Board | 8 | 8 |
| Independent directors’ executive sessions | 8 | 8 |
| Director attendance threshold | ≥75% met by all directors | ≥75% met by all directors |
| Annual Meeting attendance | All directors attended (Apr 25, 2023) | All directors attended (Apr 23, 2024) |
| Committee | Membership | Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Not a member | Kevin E. Cook |
| Compensation | Not a member | James S. Loving |
| Corporate Governance & Nominating | Not a member | Shawn D. Penner |
| Risk | Member | Gregory L. Gaeddert |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $35,500 | $41,300 |
| Stock Awards ($) | $33,000 | $37,667 |
| Total ($) | $68,500 | $78,967 |
Policy highlights (program-level):
- Annual cash retainer raised from $32,000 (2023) to $40,000 (2024); equity grant value raised from $33,000 to $40,000 .
- Committee member retainers: Compensation/Governance/Risk $4,200 (chair $11,400); Audit member $5,400 (chair $16,800); Equity Bank Credit Committee retainer $48,000 for members .
- Director equity awards: one-year vesting restricted stock or options; fees prepaid May 1 and earned over one year; repayment/clawback applies if service ends before vest .
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based metrics tied to director compensation are disclosed; director equity grants are time-vested (one-year) restricted shares or stock options at grant-date fair value .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No public company directorships disclosed in Everett’s proxy biography; roles noted are civic/nonprofit and academic .
- No related-party transactions identified involving Everett; the only enumerated related-party transaction in 2024 involved Hutton Corporation (contracting services) reviewed and ratified under policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Healthcare and insurance operations (provider networks, compliance, audits) .
- Governance in nonprofit and academic institutions; DEI leadership .
- Community and stakeholder engagement; credit union supervisory committee experience .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 10,808 |
| Shares outstanding (Record Date) | 17,508,740 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | ~0.062% (10,808 / 17,508,740) |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed for Everett (policy prohibits hedging/pledging, limited exceptions with pre-approval) |
| Director stock ownership guideline | $500,000 within 5 years (outside directors) |
| Compliance status (program-level) | All outside directors met or were on track as of 12/31/2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; consistent committee service on Risk; strong attendance norms; robust insider trading policy restricting hedging/pledging; director ownership guideline to align interests, with program-level compliance on track .
- Potential conflicts: None disclosed specific to Everett; no related-party transactions involving her noted in the proxy .
- Signals affecting investor confidence: Board moving to declassify and annual elections (enhanced accountability); continued use of independent compensation consultant; say-on-pay support (~70% in 2024) indicates acceptable executive pay governance backdrop .