Joseph Anderson
GENTEXAbout Joseph Anderson
Joseph B. Anderson Jr., age 82, is an independent director of Gentex Corporation, serving since 2022. He is the majority owner, Chairman, and CEO of TAG Holdings, LLC, and brings deep manufacturing and automotive leadership experience from General Motors and private-company CEO roles. Anderson holds a B.S. from West Point, two master’s degrees from UCLA, and completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program; he is a Distinguished Graduate of West Point with extensive military commendations and was a White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Army (82nd Airborne; 1st Cavalry, Vietnam) | Infantry Officer; multiple combat deployments | Prior to private sector career | Two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, three Army Commendations, eleven Air Medals |
| White House Fellowship | Special Assistant to Sec. of Commerce, Juanita Kreps | Post-military | Federal policy exposure and executive-level government experience |
| General Motors | General Director, Body Hardware Business Unit | ~13 years at GM | Led unit with 7,000 employees and ~$1B revenue; manufacturing and leadership depth |
| Privately held company (global multibusiness platform) | President & CEO | Post-GM | Acquired, grew, and sold businesses in automotive, heavy equipment, aerospace, defense |
| U.S. Dept. of Commerce Manufacturing Council | Past Chairman | Not disclosed | Industry policy leadership and manufacturing advocacy |
| Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago–Detroit Branch | Past Chairman | Not disclosed | Financial oversight experience and regional economic governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TAG Holdings, LLC | Majority Owner, Chairman & CEO | Owns manufacturing, service, and technology companies across North America |
| National Recreation Foundation | Chairman of the Board | Community and philanthropic leadership |
| Horizons Upward Bound | Advisory Board | Education access advocacy |
| Univ. of Michigan–Dearborn | Executive Leaders Advocacy Group | Regional academic and leadership engagement |
Board Governance
- Independence: Anderson is affirmed independent under NASDAQ listing standards .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (Brown—Chair, Anderson, Zang) .
- Attendance: Board held five meetings in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings and attended the 2024 Annual Meeting; directors are expected to attend in 2025 .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Schaum); independent directors meet outside management; Lead Independent Director Policy remains in place for flexibility .
- Related-party oversight: Audit Committee reviews and approves all related-party transactions per charter; annual questionnaires used to surface conflicts .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $93,764 |
| All Other Compensation (RS dividends) | $2,035 |
| Director Compensation Policy (Structure) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Annual director cash retainer | $90,000 |
| Chair of the Board retainer | $100,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair retainer | $12,500 |
| Compensation Committee Chair retainer | $10,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair retainer | $10,000 |
| Audit Committee member (non-chair) | $7,500 |
| Compensation Committee member (non-chair) | $5,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance member (non-chair) | $5,000 |
| Executive Committee member (non-employee) | $5,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component (2024) | Grant Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock (RS) | $130,310 | RS grants equal to ~$130,000 at each Annual Meeting; RS vests on the first anniversary of grant |
No director performance share awards or option awards are disclosed for non-employee directors; RS awards are time-based, not performance-based .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | Not disclosed for Anderson in the 2025 proxy |
| Committee interlocks | Compensation Committee comprises independent directors (Schaum, Deur, Walker); no insider participation; Anderson is not listed on this committee |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Manufacturing/operations leadership: Led $1B GM unit with 7,000 employees; private CEO scaling across automotive and industrials .
- Governance/finance: Past chair of Fed Reserve Bank Chicago–Detroit Branch; policy leadership via Manufacturing Council .
- Education: B.S. West Point; two UCLA master’s; Harvard AMP; Distinguished Graduate of West Point .
- Committee fit: Nominating & Corporate Governance member; ESG governance oversight flows through this committee’s charter .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 3,764 (sole voting/investment power unless noted) |
| Percent of class | Less than 1% |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors and officers per Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policy |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 5× annual retainer; five-year timeline to meet guideline; RS/PSA and owned shares counted |
Governance Assessment
- Alignment and independence: Anderson is independent, serves on a governance-focused committee, and the Board maintains independent leadership with executive sessions—positive for board effectiveness .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met five times in 2024; all directors met ≥75% attendance and attended the Annual Meeting—acceptable engagement signal .
- Pay structure: Director cash retainer plus 1-year RS grant supports ownership mentality while avoiding performance metric distortions in director pay; no options or performance shares for directors—balanced governance pay design .
- Ownership/skin-in-the-game: Beneficial ownership is modest (3,764 shares) relative to guideline (5× retainer); guidelines allow five years to achieve—monitor for progression to target .
- Conflicts/related parties: No Anderson-specific related-party transactions disclosed; Audit Committee oversees such matters; anti-hedging/pledging mitigates misalignment risk .
- Shareholder sentiment: 2024 say-on-pay approved by 96%, indicating broad investor support for compensation governance—contextual positive signal .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Anderson: No related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, or attendance issues referenced; Section 16 filings reported timely .