John S. Walsh
About John S. Walsh
John S. Walsh is an Independent Trustee of Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund (FMN) elected separately by Preferred Shareholders; he first joined the board in December 2002 and is nominated for a one-year term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting, with service to all shareholders once elected by Preferred holders . He was born on November 28, 1957 and is designated by the Board as an Audit Committee Financial Expert, reflecting financial oversight credentials relevant to fund governance . Walsh’s operating background includes leadership of private industrial businesses focused on construction heating equipment, and prior experience as a vice president at a paving contractor, bringing hands-on operations and management expertise to the board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wagon, Inc. (manufacturer of construction temporary heaters) | Chairman and Director; formerly President | Not disclosed | Executive leadership and industry operations background |
| Manufacturers Products, Inc. (distributor of portable construction heaters) | Chairman and Director; formerly President | Not disclosed | Executive leadership and distribution operations background |
| Portable Heater Parts (division of Manufacturers Products, Inc.) | Chairman | Not disclosed | Executive leadership in aftermarket parts/service |
| Walsh & Kelly, Inc. (paving contractors) | Vice President (prior role) | Not disclosed | Operations/management experience in construction |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Public Company? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wagon, Inc. | Private industrial | Chairman and Director | No |
| Manufacturers Products, Inc. | Private industrial | Chairman and Director | No |
| Portable Heater Parts (division) | Private industrial | Chairman | No |
| Other public company boards | — | None | — |
Board Governance
- Status: Independent Trustee elected by Preferred Shareholders; serves for all shareholders once elected .
- Current term: Nominee for term expiring at the 2026 Annual Meeting (Preferred holders elect annually) .
- Committees: Audit Committee Member (financial expert designation); Nominating Committee Chair; Executive Committee Member .
- Attendance: Board met 4 times in FY 2024; each Trustee attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings during their service period; the Audit Committee met 7 times, Nominating Committee met 1 time, and Executive Committee met 1 time (FY 2024) .
- Annual meeting participation policy: The Fund does not have a policy requiring director attendance; no members attended the annual meeting in 2024 .
Committee Assignments and Meeting Frequency (FY 2024)
| Committee | Role | Financial Expert | Meetings (FY 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | Yes | 7 |
| Nominating | Chair | Not applicable | 1 |
| Executive | Member | Not applicable | 1 |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation From FMN (past fiscal year, $USD) | $1,044.49 | $1,134.19 |
| Metric | CY 2023 | CY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Compensation From FMN and Federated Hermes Complex (calendar year, $USD) | $300,000 | $341,000 |
Notes: “Aggregate Compensation From Fund” reflects FMN-only for the past fiscal year; “Total Compensation From Fund and Federated Hermes Complex” covers service across the Federated Hermes mutual fund complex in the stated calendar year .
Performance Compensation
- The proxy statements present trustee compensation as cash amounts; they do not disclose stock awards (RSUs/PSUs), options, performance metrics, vesting schedules, severance, change-of-control, clawbacks, tax gross-ups, or deferred compensation for trustees. No such items are detailed for Walsh in these filings .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Entity | Role | Interlock/Conflict Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | None | — | None disclosed |
| Private companies | Heat Wagon, Inc.; Manufacturers Products, Inc.; Portable Heater Parts | Chairman/Director | No related-party transactions with FMN disclosed in the proxy . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Qualifications: Audit committee financial expert designation; extensive business management in industrial manufacturing/distribution; prior construction sector operations role .
- Education: Not disclosed in these proxy statements .
- Board qualifications emphasized by FMN for independent trustees include judgment, financial/accounting knowledge, independence, and dedication to responsibilities, aligning with Walsh’s designation and roles .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Measure | As of | FMN (Dollar Range) | Federated Hermes Family of Investment Companies (Aggregate Dollar Range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board ownership ranges | July 31, 2024 | None | Over $100,000 |
| Board ownership ranges | June 30, 2025 | None | Over $100,000 |
| Beneficial share count | June 30, 2025 | No shares owned by Walsh; officers and Trustees collectively <1% of each class | Not applicable to FMN shares |
Notes: The Fund’s share ownership table confirms no FMN shares held by Walsh as of the stated dates; the ranges reflect the Fund’s standardized disclosure format .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Long tenure since 2002, chairing the Nominating Committee, and designation as an Audit Committee financial expert support board effectiveness and financial oversight rigor .
- Independence and attendance: Classified as independent, with board-level disclosure that each Trustee met at least a 75% attendance threshold; committee workload in FY 2024 was substantive (Audit 7, Nominating 1, Executive 1) .
- Ownership alignment: Walsh holds no shares in FMN, though he reports over $100,000 aggregate dollar range across the Federated Hermes family of investment companies; FMN-specific ownership is “None” as disclosed, which may limit direct alignment with FMN shareholders .
- Conflicts/Related-party: No public company directorships and no related-party transactions disclosed with FMN; his private company roles are outside FMN’s operations and no conflicts are indicated in the proxy filings .
- Compensation signals: Trustee compensation increased across the complex from $300,000 (CY 2023) to $341,000 (CY 2024), and FMN-specific aggregate compensation rose modestly YoY; no performance-linked pay is disclosed for trustees, consistent with typical fund governance pay structures .