James Hinkle - Director | HOME BANCSHARES (HOMB) Executive Profile & Compensation

About James G. Hinkle

Independent director of Home BancShares, Inc. (HOMB), age 76, serving since 2005 with over 40 years of banking leadership. Currently serves on the Audit and Risk Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; previously served on the Asset/Liability Committee . Classified as independent under NYSE rules; the Board reports 80% independence overall . Attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024; all current directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .

Past Roles

Organization	Role	Tenure	Committees/Impact
Bank of Mountain View	Chairman	2005–2009	Led bank until charter merged into Centennial Bank in 2009
Mountain View BancShares, Inc.	President	1995–2005	Oversaw holding company until merger into HOMB
Bank of Mountain View	President	1981–2005	Long-term executive management; deep market knowledge in North Central Arkansas
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission	Commissioner	1996–2003	State public service
National Wild Turkey Federation	Director	2003–2018	National non-profit governance experience

External Roles

Organization	Role	Tenure	Notes
Arkansas State Police Commission	Commissioner	Current	State commission appointment

Board Governance

Committee assignments: Audit & Risk (member), Nominating & Corporate Governance (member); not a chair .
2024 meeting cadence: Audit (5), Compensation (2), Nominating (1), Asset/Liability (4) .
Independence: Determined independent; all members of Audit, Compensation, and Nominating committees are independent .
Attendance: Each current director participated in at least 75% of applicable meetings in 2024; all current directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (non‑employee directors by teleconference) .
Age/refreshment: Board policy sets mandatory retirement at 75, but waiver granted through the 2026 Annual Meeting for Hinkle and select directors .
Executive sessions: Independent Vice Chairman presides at regular sessions of independent directors .

Fixed Compensation

Component (2024)	Amount ($)	Notes
Fees earned or paid in cash	55,350	Board/committee/advisory fees
Stock awards (grant-date fair value)	73,830	3,000 restricted shares granted Jan 19, 2024 at $24.61; time-based vesting over 3 years
Option awards	—	None granted
All other compensation	4,500	Restricted stock dividends
Total	133,680	Sum of components

2024 Director Equity Grant Details	Data
Grant date	Jan 19, 2024
Shares granted	3,000 restricted shares
Grant-date fair value per share	$24.61
Vesting schedule	3 equal annual installments beginning Jan 19, 2025

Director pay structure: Annual cash retainer ($14,000), meeting fees (Board $5,000; committee fees vary by committee and chair), and annual time-vested restricted stock; only non‑employee directors and the Chairman receive committee attendance fees .

Performance Compensation

Item	Disclosure
Performance-based director pay metrics	None disclosed; director equity grants are time-based restricted stock (no director-specific performance metrics)

Note: Company performance metrics (ROA, ROTCE, efficiency, net charge‑offs, NIM) apply to executive incentive plans and CEO performance-based equity, not to non‑employee director compensation .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

Category	Disclosure
Current public company directorships	None disclosed
Private/non-profit boards	National Wild Turkey Federation (former director); Arkansas State Police Commission (current commissioner)
Interlocks with HOMB competitors/suppliers/customers	None disclosed

Expertise & Qualifications

Banking leadership: 40+ years; former president/chair roles at Bank of Mountain View and Mountain View BancShares .
Governance and regulatory familiarity: Service on state commissions; familiarity with HOMB’s North Central Arkansas customer base .
Committee-relevant skills: Participates on Audit & Risk and Nominating & Corporate Governance; Audit Committee confirms financial literacy for all members .

Equity Ownership

Item	Amount	Notes
Total beneficial ownership	529,752 shares	Less than 1% of outstanding shares
Ownership components	487,127 shares	James G. Hinkle Revocable Trust
Restricted shares outstanding	6,000 shares	Director restricted stock balance as of Dec 31, 2024
Options	None	No options held as of Dec 31, 2024
Pledged shares	None disclosed	No pledge noted in footnote

Governance Assessment

Strengths:
- Long-tenured independent director with deep banking experience; roles on Audit & Risk and Nominating & Corporate Governance align with expertise .
- Audit Committee independence and financial literacy across members; presence of audit committee financial experts on committee (Engelkes, Garrett) enhances oversight .
- Attendance and engagement meet policy; at least 75% attendance with full Annual Meeting participation .
- Director compensation uses modest cash retainers and time-vested equity, supporting alignment without director‑specific performance gaming .
- Company-level shareholder support signal: 93.1% Say‑on‑Pay approval in 2024 following program enhancements .
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Board refreshment: Mandatory retirement age waived through 2026 for Hinkle; continued reliance on waivers suggests slower refresh pace .
- Related-party environment: Company engages in ordinary-course loans and leases with directors; Nominating Committee (which includes Hinkle) reviews related party transactions, mitigating but not eliminating perceived conflict risk (no Hinkle-specific transactions disclosed) .
- Combined Chair/CEO structure at holding company; mitigated by independent Vice Chair leading executive sessions .
Overall: Hinkle’s committee roles, independence, attendance, and significant equity ownership (via trust) support alignment and board effectiveness; monitor board refresh efforts and related-party exposure processes for continuing governance quality .