N. John Simmons
About N. John Simmons
Independent director of Kforce Inc. (Class II), age 69, serving since 2014 with current term expiring in 2026; designated an Audit Committee financial expert and serves on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committees . Background spans CEO/CFO/COO roles across multiple industries and audit partner experience at KPMG, bringing deep financial oversight expertise; he also participates in a board-level cybersecurity/data privacy working group . All directors except the CEO and Chairman are independent under NYSE rules; Simmons is independent and attended 100% of Board and his committee meetings in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth Advisors, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 2012–present | Advises high-growth companies; finance/strategy expertise |
| DeMert Brands, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | Operations/finance leadership |
| Lifestyle Family Fitness, Inc. | CEO & President; Board Director | CEO/President tenure not disclosed; Director 2001–2012 | Strategic leadership; board oversight |
| New Homes Realty | President | Not disclosed | Executive leadership |
| Quantum Capital Partners | President | Not disclosed | Venture capital leadership |
| Eckerd Corporation | Vice President & Controller | Not disclosed | Corporate finance/control |
| Checkers Drive-In Restaurants | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed | CFO oversight |
| KPMG Peat Marwick | Audit Partner | Not disclosed | Audit leadership; financial reporting |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds.com Group, Inc. | Director | 2013–2014 | Board oversight |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Board of Trustees | 2009–2015 | Audit Committee Chair; Executive Committee member |
| Technology Research Corporation | Director | 2009–2011 | Lead Director; Governance & Nominating Chair (2009–2010); Compensation Chair (2010–2011) |
| Medquist, Inc. | Director | 2005–2007 | Audit Committee Chair |
| SRI Surgical Express, Inc. | Director | 2001–2008 | Lead Director; Chairman of the Board |
| Other current public company boards | None | N/A | No current public company directorships |
Board Governance
- Committees: Audit Committee member (financial expert) and Corporate Governance Committee member; not a chair; participates in board’s cybersecurity/data privacy working group with Ms. Cloudman, reporting to Audit Committee quarterly .
- Independence: Independent under NYSE rules; Board majority independent; only CEO and Chairman are non-independent .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; Audit Committee met 5; Corporate Governance met 4; each director attended 100% of Board meetings and 100% of their committee meetings (one director had 75% attendance on Nomination, which Simmons is not on) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet regularly in executive session via Corporate Governance Committee; committees also hold executive sessions .
- Time commitments: Kforce limits non-employee directors to ≤4 public-company boards and ≤3 audit committees; all directors compliant; Simmons has no other current public boards .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY 2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $95,000 |
| Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | $139,996 |
| All Other Compensation (dividend equivalents on unvested awards) | $3,461 |
| Total | $238,457 |
Director fee structure (2024):
- Board retainer: Chairman $145,000; Other Directors $45,000 .
- Service fees: Chairman $67,000; Other Directors $20,000; Committee service fees per chair/member $15,000; Lead Independent Director premium $40,000 .
- April 26, 2024 director equity grant: 2,183 restricted shares to each director at $64.13 grant-date price; vests April 25, 2025 .
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-based restricted stock; no disclosed performance metrics tied to director equity grants. Equity awards accrue dividend equivalents as additional restricted stock and generally vest after one year for directors .
| Equity Grant Detail | Shares | Grant Date | Vest Date | Grant-Date Price | Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director RSU grant | 2,183 | Apr 26, 2024 | Apr 25, 2025 | $64.13 | $139,996 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | None |
| Prior public boards | Bonds.com Group (2013–2014); Technology Research Corp (Lead Director; Gov/Nom Chair; Comp Chair 2009–2011); Medquist (Audit Chair 2005–2007); SRI Surgical Express (Lead Director; Chairman 2001–2008) |
| Non-profit/academic | Loyola University New Orleans Board of Trustees (Audit Chair; Executive Committee 2009–2015) |
| Compensation interlocks | None; Kforce’s Compensation Committee members are independent and no interlocks disclosed in 2024 |
| Related-party transactions | None requiring disclosure for 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit Committee financial expert designation; prior audit partner at KPMG and CFO roles support rigorous financial oversight .
- Broad executive experience (CEO/COO/CFO) across consumer, healthcare, restaurant, and retail sectors; governance leadership as chair/lead director on multiple boards .
- Cybersecurity oversight engagement via special board working group (with Cloudman) enabling deeper dialogue with management on data privacy and AI-related risks .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status |
|---|---|
| Unvested restricted stock (as of Dec 31, 2024) | 2,224 shares |
| Deferred restricted stock units | None |
| Stock options | None; company generally does not grant options; no options outstanding in 2024 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by policy; no directors held securities in margin accounts or pledged stock in 2024 |
| Director ownership guideline | 4x annual Board cash fees; all directors are in compliance |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; 100% attendance; Audit Committee financial expert credentials; active role in cybersecurity oversight; no related-party transactions; no hedging/pledging; director ownership guideline compliance supports alignment .
- Compensation alignment: Balanced cash/equity with modest equity retainer; dividend equivalents accrue in stock, reinforcing equity alignment; no options or performance-contingent pay for directors, consistent with best practices for independence .
- Time/overboarding risk: Policy limits in place; Simmons has no other public boards currently, minimizing overboarding risk .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Simmons—no related-party ties, no attendance issues, no pledging/hedging, no compensation interlocks .