Amy Lancellotta
About Amy B. R. Lancellotta
Independent Board Member of Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC), Class II term through the 2026 annual meeting; joined the Nuveen Funds boards in 2021. Year of birth: 1959. Former Managing Director of the Independent Directors Council (IDC) at the Investment Company Institute (ICI), with a governance, policy, and director education focus; B.A. Pennsylvania State University (1981) and J.D. George Washington University Law School (1984). She is deemed independent under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and has never been an employee or director of TIAA/Nuveen or affiliates .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Directors Council (IDC), part of ICI | Managing Director | 2006–2019 | Led governance, education, communication and policy initiatives for fund independent directors; advised IDC/ICI on fund governance and director responsibilities . |
| Investment Company Institute (ICI) | Various positions | 1989–2006 | Regulatory and industry initiatives affecting funds and shareholders . |
| Two Washington, D.C. law firms | Associate | Prior to ICI tenure | Legal practice experience prior to joining ICI . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) | President; Board Member | President since 2023; Member since 2020 | Non-profit; focus on ending power-based violence and survivor support . |
Board Governance
- Independence: Classified as an Independent Board Member under the 1940 Act; no prior employment or director roles at TIAA/Nuveen or affiliates .
- Board Class/Term: Class II trustee; term expires at 2026 annual meeting (JQC) .
- Committee Assignments:
- Investment Committee: Co-Chair .
- Audit Committee: Member; Audit Committee meets NYSE/NASDAQ independence/experience standards .
- Dividend Committee: Member .
- Nominating & Governance Committee: Member .
- Not on Executive Committee or Closed-End Fund Committee .
- Board Leadership: Independent Chair is Robert L. Young .
- Attendance: Each Board Member attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings in the last fiscal year .
| JQC Meeting Activity (last fiscal year) | Count |
|---|---|
| Regular Board Meetings | 5 |
| Special Board Meetings | 8 |
| Executive Committee Meetings | 8 |
| Dividend Committee Meetings | 8 |
| Compliance, Risk Mgmt & Regulatory Oversight Committee Meetings | 6 |
| Audit Committee Meetings | 14 |
| Nominating & Governance Committee Meetings | 5 |
| Investment Committee Meetings | 4 |
| Closed-End Fund Committee Meetings | 4 |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (Fund Complex; effective January 1, 2024, with increases effective January 1, 2025):
- Annual retainer: $350,000 .
- Committee membership annual retainers (2025 levels): Audit $35,000; Compliance $35,000; Investment $30,000; Dividend $25,000; Nominating & Governance $25,000; Closed-End Funds $25,000 .
- Chair/Co-Chair annual retainers (2025 levels): Board Chair $150,000; Audit/Compliance Chair/Co-Chair $35,000; Investment Chair/Co-Chair $30,000; Dividend/Nominating & Governance/Closed-End Chair/Co-Chair $25,000 .
- Ad hoc Board/Committee meeting fees: $1,000 or $2,500 depending on length/immediacy; special assignment committee quarterly fees (Chair start at $1,250; members start at $5,000) .
- Deferred Compensation Plan available; deferrals track the value of designated Nuveen funds; distributions in lump sum or 2–20 years .
| Director Compensation – JQC (last fiscal year) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from JQC paid to Lancellotta | $4,072 |
| Deferred Fees Payable (JQC) to Lancellotta | $1,420 |
| Total Compensation from funds in the Fund Complex paid to Lancellotta | $469,250 |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based cash bonuses, stock awards (RSUs/PSUs), or options disclosed for Independent Board Members. Compensation consists of retainers, meeting fees, committee fees, chair/co-chair fees, and optional deferred compensation linked to Nuveen fund returns via a book reserve account; no explicit performance metrics (e.g., TSR, EBITDA, ESG) tied to director pay were disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No public company directorships disclosed for Lancellotta in the past five years; listed external role is JCADA (non-profit) .
- No disclosed interlocks or related roles with competitors/suppliers/customers of JQC .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Governance/regulatory expert with three decades at ICI/IDC focused on fund governance, director education, policy, and industry advocacy .
- Legal training (J.D., George Washington University Law School) and prior legal practice; broad experience advising directors on governance and compliance matters .
- Oversees 218 portfolios within the Nuveen/TIAA fund complex (unitary board structure) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | JQC Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Shares Owned by Lancellotta (JQC) | 0 |
| Ownership as % of JQC Outstanding | <1% for each Board Member; Board Members and officers as a group own <1% in each Fund |
| Board Members & Officers as a Group – JQC Shares | 2,714 |
| Aggregate Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen (Lancellotta) | Over $100,000 |
| Board Ownership Guideline | Expectation that each Board Member invests at least one year of compensation in funds in the Fund Complex, directly or on a deferred basis |
- No pledging or hedging, loans, or related-party arrangements disclosed for Lancellotta; Section 16(a) filings reported as compliant in the last fiscal year .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and Governance: Strong independence posture; member of key oversight committees (Audit, Nominating & Governance, Dividend) and co-chairs Investment Committee, indicating deep engagement in oversight of performance and risk .
- Attendance & Engagement: Met the 75% attendance threshold across Board and committee meetings; JQC had high Audit Committee cadence (14 meetings), consistent with active oversight of valuation and financial reporting .
- Compensation & Incentives: Director pay moved materially higher in 2024–2025 (retainer to $350k; committee fees increased), reflecting rising workload/complexity; as Investment Committee Co-Chair, Lancellotta receives additional chair retainer atop membership retainer under the disclosed structure .
- Ownership Alignment: No JQC share ownership (0 shares), but “Over $100,000” aggregate holdings across registered investment companies overseen and an explicit board guideline to hold at least one year of compensation in Fund Complex products (including via deferrals) partially mitigates single-fund alignment concerns .
- Conflicts/Related-Party Exposure: No related-party transactions or common-control private holdings disclosed for Lancellotta; contrast with disclosures for other Board Members (e.g., Kenny) underscores a low-conflict profile .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Lancellotta (no Section 16 delinquency, no pledging/hedging, no related-party transactions). Note: zero direct ownership in JQC is a potential alignment consideration but is offset by aggregate complex holdings and the deferred compensation alignment mechanism .