Hope S. Taitz
About Hope S. Taitz
Independent director at Summit Hotel Properties (INN), age 61, serving since July 2017; currently Chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and member of the Audit Committee, designated an “audit committee financial expert.” Background includes CEO of ELY Capital; founder of Catalyst Partners; earlier investment banking roles at Drexel Burnham Lambert (M&A), The Argosy Group (VP), and Crystal Asset Management (Managing Director). Education: University of Pennsylvania, economics (marketing concentration); active in STEM-related nonprofits.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELY Capital | Chief Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Invests in/advises media, technology, consumer companies |
| Catalyst Partners | Founder | Not disclosed | Investment management |
| Drexel Burnham Lambert | M&A analyst/associate | Not disclosed | M&A execution experience |
| The Argosy Group (now part of CIBC) | Vice President | Not disclosed | Corporate finance/M&A |
| Crystal Asset Management | Managing Director | Not disclosed | Asset management leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aequi Acquisition Corp | Chair | Public in 2023; no current public service listed in 2025 nominee table | Not disclosed | 2023 proxy lists ARBG; 2025 nominees show no current U.S. public boards |
| Athene Holding Ltd. | Director | Private | Not disclosed | Current board (private) |
| MidCap Finco Holdings Limited | Director | Private | Not disclosed | Current board (private) |
| Yahoo! | Director | Private | Not disclosed | Current board (private) |
| Apollo Residential Mortgage, Inc. | Former director | Public (former) | Not disclosed | Prior public company board |
| Diamond Resorts International, Inc. | Former director | Public (former) | Not disclosed | Prior public company board |
| Greenlight Capital RE, Ltd. | Former director | Public (former) | Not disclosed | Prior public company board |
| Lumenis Ltd. | Former director | Public (former) | Not disclosed | Prior public company board |
| Girls Who Code; NYC Foundation for Computer Science; YRFDarca; Wharton Undergraduate Executive Board; Pencils of Promise | Board/leadership roles | Nonprofit/academic | Not disclosed | STEM advocacy and education |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Taitz is independent under NYSE standards.
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance; member, Audit.
- Audit committee financial expert designation.
- Attendance: In 2024, Board met 4 times in person and 6 by video; Nominating met 4; Audit met 4 in person and 3 by video; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate meetings.
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met regularly in executive session; chairs presided for committees.
- Director election votes (2025): For 84,074,698; Against 5,947,293; Abstain 624,322; all nominees elected.
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Hedging prohibited; pledging prohibited except pre-approved, and no director/officer has pledged.
- Stock ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold shares equal to 5× annual cash retainer; all currently at or above required level.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | All non-employee directors (2024 program) |
| Committee membership fees | Audit $12,500; Compensation $10,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $7,500 | Per committee membership annual fee |
| Committee chair fees | Audit Chair $15,000; Compensation Chair $12,500; Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair $10,000 | Additional annual fee for chair roles |
| Non-Executive Chairman fee | $100,000 | Additional annual retainer for Chairman (Jones) |
| Meeting fees | $0 | Retainer-only; no meeting fees |
| 2024 fees earned (Taitz) | $90,000 | Reflects role-based retainers/committee fees |
| Director Cash & Stock (2024) | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hope S. Taitz | 90,000 | 109,642 | 199,642 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Detail | Value/Units | Vesting | Grant Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual equity award (2024) | 18,213 shares; aggregate value ≈$110,000 | Fully vested at grant | May 28, 2024 | Shares determined by $110,000 ÷ 10-day VWAP; under 2024 Plan |
| Annual equity award (2023) | 16,163 shares; aggregate value ≈$110,000 | Fully vested at grant | May 24, 2023 | Under 2011 Plan; fixed-value grant design |
| Performance Metrics Tied to Director Compensation | Detail |
|---|---|
| None | Director grants are full-value shares with immediate vesting; no TSR/financial performance conditions for directors. |
- Election to receive stock in lieu of cash: Option available; in 2024 and 2023 no director elected stock in lieu of cash.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Companies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Current U.S. public company boards | N/A | 2025 nominee table shows no current U.S. public boards for Taitz |
| Current private company boards | Athene Holding Ltd.; MidCap Finco Holdings Limited; Yahoo! | As disclosed (private) |
| Prior public company boards | Apollo Residential Mortgage, Inc.; Diamond Resorts International, Inc.; Greenlight Capital RE, Ltd.; Lumenis Ltd. | Historical service |
| SPAC/blank-check | Aequi Acquisition Corp | Listed as NASDAQ: ARBG in 2023; not shown as current U.S. public in 2025 nominee table |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Capital markets and investment banking expertise (Drexel Burnham Lambert; Argosy; Crystal Asset Management), CEO/operator experience (ELY Capital; Catalyst Partners).
- Governance experience: Committee chairing (Nominating & Corporate Governance), Audit Committee membership; audit committee financial expert designation.
- Education: University of Pennsylvania, economics with marketing concentration.
- STEM advocacy and nonprofit governance (Girls Who Code; NYC Foundation for Computer Science; YRFDarca; Wharton Undergraduate Executive Board; Pencils of Promise).
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 99,341 shares (as of March 31, 2025) |
| Ownership as % of outstanding shares | <1% |
| Vested vs unvested | No options/RSUs held; director equity grants are fully vested at grant |
| Pledged shares | None; pledging prohibited and no director/officer has pledged |
| Ownership guideline | 5× annual cash retainer; all non-employee directors at or above required level |
| Anti-hedging | Hedging prohibited for directors/officers |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Taitz chairs a key governance committee overseeing board composition, conflicts/related-party review, and corporate responsibility, and is an Audit Committee member with “financial expert” designation—supportive of robust oversight.
- Independence and alignment: Independent status; meaningful share ownership consistent with 5× retainer guideline; no pledging/hedging; director equity grants create alignment (fixed-value, immediate vesting).
- Shareholder support signals: 2025 director election saw Taitz elected with 84.07M For, 5.95M Against, 0.62M Abstain; say-on-pay approved (87.37M For, 3.22M Against, 0.06M Abstain). Monitor relative dissent vs peers as a soft signal.
- Conflicts/red flags: No related person transactions in 2024; no loans or pledging; Compensation Committee interlocks none; independent compensation consultant (FW Cook) engaged for director/executive pay benchmarking.
- Program design: Director pay is retainer-plus equity with no meeting fees, a widely accepted structure; equity grants are fully vested at grant (company rationale: alignment, avoid entrenchment).
RED FLAGS: None disclosed—no related-party transactions, no pledging, and strong governance structure. Note 2025 election “Against” votes higher than some peers; merits monitoring but not a disclosed issue.
Appendix: Key Committee Responsibilities
- Nominating & Corporate Governance (Chair: Taitz): Board/management evaluations; conflict-of-interest policy oversight; review/approval of related-person transactions; board size/composition; slate of nominees; corporate responsibility oversight.
- Audit (member: Taitz): Financial reporting oversight; auditor engagement/independence; internal controls; REIT tax compliance; information security risk oversight; all members designated “financial experts.”
Reference Votes (2025 Annual Meeting)
| Proposal | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elect Hope S. Taitz | 84,074,698 | 5,947,293 | 624,322 | 6,947,697 |
| Ratify EY (2025) | 93,983,548 | 3,593,985 | 16,477 | — |
| Say-on-Pay (2025) | 87,371,959 | 3,217,470 | 56,884 | 6,947,697 |
Sources: INN DEF 14A (2025) ; INN DEF 14A (2024) ; INN DEF 14A (2023) ; INN 8-K Item 5.07 (May 22, 2025)